THE WHITE BIRDS

I would that we were, my beloved, white birds on the foam of the sea!
We tire of the flame of the meteor, before it can fade and flee;
And the flame of the blue star of twilight, hung low on the rim of the sky,
Has awakened in our hearts, my beloved, a sadness that may not die.

A weariness comes from those dreamers, dew-dabbled, the lily and rose;
Ah, dream not of them, my beloved, the flame of the meteor that goes,
Or the flame of the blue star that lingers hung low in the fall of the dew:
For I would we were changed to white birds on the wandering foam: I and you!

I am haunted by numberless islands, and many a Danaan shore,
Where Time would surely forget us, and Sorrow come near us no more;
Soon far from the rose and the lily, and fret of the flames would we be,
Were we only white birds, my beloved, buoyed out on the foam of the sea!

亲爱的，愿我们是浪尖上的一对白鸟！
即便流星稍纵即逝，我们也会厌倦它的闪耀；
而晨光中那低垂天边的蓝星，
却是我们心中那缕永恒的忧思。

心疼你梦中逸出那丝困倦，亲爱的，
别去梦哪些晨露中的百合和玫瑰，那如流星的焰尾，
也别去梦那低悬露珠的蓝星幽光，那是不灭的忧伤；
只愿化为浪尖上的白鸟：就我和你！

我的心中萦绕着无数的岛屿和海难，那是梦中的乐园，
时间总会遗忘我们，忧伤自不再来临；
远离了玫瑰和百合，远离了那些烦忧，
亲爱的，我们只是一对白鸟，在浪花中出没！

这是一首写给毛特冈的情诗，诗中主要有三个意像，白鸟、流星的尾焰、蓝星的忧伤。白鸟代表则自由和幸福，而流星的尾焰，是不是就是那转瞬即逝的虚名？而蓝星，也许是毛特冈的投身其中的爱尔兰独立事业，那是美丽崇高而看不到希望的事业。也许诗人认为，为一件无望的事业而奋斗，除了能得到一些虚名外，只能使自己困倦于永恒的忧伤之中，不如和他自由地“出没烟波里”。

听起来好浪漫，但也的确太一厢情愿了一点。再说了，你写情诗，赞美就够了，还讽喻人家，这不是打脸吗？这也是为什么毛特冈一再拒绝诗人的原因了，人家要找的是革命同志。