永生的資訊 第五節

我們的誕生不過是入睡，是忘卻：

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:

與軀體同來的魂魄——生命的星辰，

The Soul that rises with us, our life"s Star,

原先在異域安歇，

Hath had elsewhere its setting,

此時從遠方來臨；

And cometh from afar:

並未把前緣淡忘無餘，

Not in entire forgetfulness,

並非赤條條身無寸縷，

And not in utter nakedness,

我們披祥雲，來自上帝身邊——

But trailing clouds of glory do we come

那本是我們的家園；

From God, who is our home:

年幼時，天國的明輝近在眼前；

Heaven lies about us in our infancy!

當兒童漸漸成長，牢籠的陰影

Shades of the prison-house begin to close

便漸漸向他逼近，

Upon the growing Boy,

然而那明輝，那流佈明輝的光源，

But he beholds the light, and whence it flows,

他還能欣然望見；

He sees it in his joy;

少年時代，他每日由東向西，

The Youth, who daily farther from the east

也還能領悟造化的神奇，

Must travel, still is Nature"s Priest,

幻異的光影依然

And by the vision splendid

是他旅途的同伴；

Is on his way attended;

及至他長大成人，明輝便泯滅，

At length the Man perceives it die away,

消溶於暗淡流光，平凡日月。

And fade into the light of common day.——譯者：楊德豫