第八首
*08.EEB
第八首
你那样慷慨豪爽的施主呀，你把
What can I give thee back, O liberal
你心坎里金碧辉煌的宝藏、
And Princely giver, who hast brought the gold
原封地掏出来，只往我墙外推，
And purple of thine heart, unstained, untold,
任凭象我这样的人去拣起，还是
And laid them on the outside of the wall
把这罕见的舍施丢下；教我拿什么
For such as I to take or lea十ve withal, [1]
来作为你应得的报答？请不要
In unexpected largesse? am I cold,
说我太冷漠、太寡恩，你那许多
Ungrateful, that for these most manifold
重重叠叠的深情厚意，我却
High gifts, I render nothing back at all?
没有一些儿回敬；不，并不是
Not so; not cold, -- but very poor instead.
冷漠无情，实在我太寒伧。你问
Ask God who knows. For frequent tears ha十ve run
上帝就明白。那连绵的泪雨冲尽了
The colours from my life, and left so dead
我生命的光彩，只剩一片死沉沉的
And pale a stuff, it were not fitly done
苍白，不配给你当偎依的枕头。
To give the same as pillow to thy head.
走吧！尽把它踏在脚下，作垫石。
Go further! let it serve to trample on.
[1] withal, Original meaning is 'likewise', or 'at the same time'.
Here it means 'equally', 'with free choice'.