The Lost Mistress

Robert Browning

All's over， then: does truth sound bitter

As one at first believes?

Hark，抰is the sparrows?good-night twitter

About your cottage eaves!

那么，一切都過去了。難道實情的滋味

真有預想的那么難咽？

聽，麻雀在你家村居的屋檐周圍

嘰嘰喳喳地道著晚安。

And the leaf-buds on the vine are woolly，

I noticed that， today;

One day more bursts they open fully

You know the red turns grey.

今天我發(fā)現(xiàn)葡萄藤上的芽苞

毛茸茸地，鼓了起來；

再一天，時光就會把嫩葉催開，瞧，

暗紅正漸漸轉(zhuǎn)為灰白。

Tomorrow we meet the same then， dearest?

May I take your hand in mine?

Mere friends are we， well， friends the merest

Keep much that I resign:

最親愛的，明天我們能否照樣相遇？

我能否仍舊握住你的手？

“僅僅是朋友，”好吧，我失去的許多東西，

最一般的朋友倒還能保留：

For each glance of the eye so bright and black，

Though I keep with heart抯 endeavor，

Your voice， when you wish the snowdrops back，

Though it stay in my soul forever!

你烏黑澄澈的眼睛每一次閃爍

我都永遠銘刻在心；

我心底也永遠保留著你說

“愿白雪花回來”的聲音！

Yet I will but say what mere friends say，

Or only a thought stronger;

I will hold your hand but as long as all may，

Or so very little longer!

但是，我將只說一般朋友的語言，

或許再稍微強烈一些；

我握你的手，將只握禮節(jié)允許的時間

或許再稍長一霎！