TO HARRIET.
Composed May, 1814. Published (from the Esdaile manuscript)
by Dowden, “Life of Shelley”, 1887.
Thy look of love has power to calm
The stormiest passion of my soul;
Thy gentle words are drops of balm
In life’s too bitter bowl;
No grief is mine, but that alone _5
These choicest blessings I have known.
Harriet! if all who long to live
In the warm sunshine of thine eye,
That price beyond all pain must give,—
Beneath thy scorn to die; _10
Then hear thy chosen own too late
His heart most worthy of thy hate.
Be thou, then, one among mankind
Whose heart is harder not for state,
Thou only virtuous, gentle, kind, _15
Amid a world of hate;
And by a slight endurance seal
A fellow-being’s lasting weal.
For pale with anguish is his cheek,
His breath comes fast, his eyes are dim, _20
Thy name is struggling ere he speak,
Weak is each trembling limb;
In mercy let him not endure
The misery of a fatal cure.
Oh, trust for once no erring guide! _25
Bid the remorseless feeling flee;
’Tis malice, ’tis revenge, ’tis pride,
’Tis anything but thee;
Oh, deign a nobler pride to prove,
And pity if thou canst not love. _30
你的爱的眼神有一种力量 可以平息我灵魂里最狂暴的激情; 你轻柔的话语是生命的苦碗里 的一滴滴香膏; 若不是领受这些最完美的祝福, 我就不会有这些痛苦。
哈里特啊,要是有人渴望在 你温暖的眼眸下生活, 就必须付出超出所有疼痛以上的代价,—— 在你的嘲笑下死去; 那就听听最值得你深恨的爱人 过晚的心事。
在人群中间,做这样的自己, 你的心不会因为世情而变硬, 在一世的仇恨里, 你唯贞洁、温柔、善良; 只要你一点点忍耐, 就可以成全一个伙伴的长久的幸福。
因为他的脸色因痛苦而苍白, 他的呼吸急促,他的眼神迷离, 你的名字他要挣扎着说出口, 每一根肢体都颤栗,病弱; 求求你,不要让他忍受 致命救赎的疼痛。
哦,相信一次永远不会错的指引! 让冷酷的感情飞离; 它是恶意,是报复,是骄傲, 绝不是你自己; 哦,屈尊用更高贵的骄傲证明自己吧, 如果你不能爱,请怜悯。 |