Apologia                                                                       自辩

Is it thy will that I should wax and wane                          是否为了如你所愿，我当如月之盈亏

Barter my cloth of gold for hodden grey,                        拿我的金装交换你的粗绒，

And a thy pleasure weave that web of pain                   并且织就痛苦之网讨你喜欢，

Whose brightest threads are each a wasted day?      而网中最灿烂的每一条线都是一段 虚掷的时光？

Is it thy will-Love that I love so well-                                是否为了如你所愿——我深爱的爱人——

That my Soul's House should be a tortured spot        我的灵魂之屋须是折磨之地，

Wherein, like evil paramours ,must dwell                     在那里，必有不灭的火焰和不死之虫

The quenchless flame ,the woem that dieth not?        蛰伏着，犹如邪恶的情人？

Nay,if it be thy will I shall endure,                                     不，若为了如你所愿则我当承受一切，

And sell ambition at the common mart ,                        而将贩售野心于平凡市集，

And let dull failure be my vestiture,                                 让阴沉的失败为我的衣衫，

And sorrow dig its grave within my heart.                     让悲哀在我的心房挖掘它的坟墓。

Perchance it may be better so-at least                          或许如此反而更好——至少

I have not made my heart a heart of stone,                  我不曾让我的心变成铁石心肠，

Nor starved my girlhood of its goodly feast,                 不曾让我的童年虚掷他那美好的盛宴，

or walked where Beauty is a thing unknown.               也不曾去到那不是美为何物之地。

Many a man hath done so ；sought to fence               许多人都曾如此，企图以

In straitened bonds the soul that should be free,        紧绷的枷锁框围那本该自由的灵魂，

Trodden the dusty road of common sense,                  整日行走在积尘的常理之道，

While all the forest sang of liberty,                                  而整个森林却正颂唱着自由。

Not marking how the spotted hawk in flinght               不曾注意那飞行中有着斑点的鹰

Passed on wide pinion through the lofty air,                如何以广展的翅翼飞过玄虚的高空，

To where some steep untrodden moutain height      去到某个人迹未至的陡峭高山

Caught the ladt tresses of the Sun God's hair.            并抓住太阳神最后的几缕垂发。

Or how the little flower be trod upon,                             不曾注意到小花如何被践踏——

The daisy,that white-feathered shield of gold,             小雏菊，那缀着白羽的金盾，

Followed with wistful eyes the wandering sun            以多么渴切的眼神追随太阳，想着

Content if once its leaves were aureoled.                    只要有一回她的叶片能冠上光环 便心满意足。

But surely it is something to have been                        然而的确有一小段时光，

The best beloved for a little while ,                                 那最受喜爱的，

To have walked hand in hand with Love,and seen     曾是与爱人携手散步，看着

His purple wings flit once across thy smile .                他紫色的翅膀掠过你的微笑。

Ay! through the gorged asp of passion feed                 啊！虽然那饱食的激情之蛇

On my girl'heart ,yet have I burst the bars,                     吞噬我少男的心，然而如果我曾扯开栅栏与美向迎而立，我将深切明白

Stood face to face with Beauty,known indeed               那足以趋动太阳和一切星辰的爱情......