——Geoffrey Chaucer
Now welcome, summer, with thy sunshine soft,
This wintry weather thou wilt overtake,
And drive away the night so long and black!
Saint Valentine, thou who art crowned aloft,
The little birds are signing for thy sake:
Now welcome, summer, with thy sunshine soft,
This wintry weather thou wilt overtake.
They have good reason to be glad, and oft,
Since each has found his mate in bush and brake.
O blissful they sing when they awake:
Now welcome, summer, with thy sunshine soft,
This wintry weather thou wilt overtake,
And drive away the night so long and black!
喬叟[1]
歡迎,夏天!你率和煦的陽光
擊退這冬天的嚴寒與霜雪,
驅(qū)逐那漫長而漆黑的暗夜!
圣瓦倫丁,你頭戴高高王冠,
為了你,小鳥兒都在歡歌:
歡迎,夏天!你率和煦的陽光
擊退這冬天的嚴寒與霜雪。
小鳥兒有理由不停地歡唱:
它們在灌木叢中求偶覓侶。
喲,那是何等美妙的晨曲!
歡迎,夏天!你率和煦的陽光
擊退這冬天的嚴寒與霜雪,
驅(qū)逐那漫長而漆黑的暗夜!
* * *
[1]杰弗雷·喬叟(Geoffrey Chaucer,約1343——1400),生于倫敦的一個商人家庭,當過海關(guān)監(jiān)督、法官和下院議員。曾出使法、意等國。著有長詩《特羅勒斯與克麗西德》和《坎特伯雷故事集》。從他開始,英國文學真正步入作家創(chuàng)作的時代。17世紀作家德萊頓稱他為“英國詩歌之父”。由于《坎特伯雷故事集》具有高度的現(xiàn)實意義,后人又稱他為“現(xiàn)實生活的詩人”(a poet of real life)。