The Solitary Reaper 

 William Wordsworth  (1770-1850)




Behold her, single in the field,  

Yon solitary Highland Lass!  

Reaping and singing by herself;  
Stop here, or gently pass!  
Alone she cuts and binds the grain, 
And sings a melancholy strain;  
O listen! for the Vale profound  
Is overflowing with the sound.  
 

No Nightingale did ever chaunt  
More welcome notes to weary bands  
Of travellers in some shady haunt,  
Among Arabian sands:  
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard  
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,  
Breaking the silence of the seas  
Among the farthest Hebrides.  
 

Will no one tell me what she sings?—  
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow  
For old, unhappy, far-off things,  
And battles long ago:  
Or is it some more humble lay,  
Familiar matter of to-day?  
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,  
That has been, and may be again?  
 

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang  
As if her song could have no ending;  
I saw her singing at her work,  
And o'er the sickle bending;—  
I listen'd, motionless and still;  
And, as I mounted up the hill,  

The music in my heart I bore,  
Long after it was heard no more.

著名的美学大师朱光潜在评论这首诗的时候就说，对于田园里的一个普通的割麦女，恐怕世间就只可能有william wordsworth、米勒、陶渊明会这么细心的用美的眼光来观察她们。诗的第一节就先连续用了几个比较孤独、忧郁的词语，使读者深刻的感受到割麦女的形象。诗的开头就是一句“behold her”，一下子把读者的注意力吸引了，后面又接着：“O，listen！”然后就引出了割麦女的歌声。william wordsworth自己也说过他更擅长于伤感类词语的运用。这一点又点像古往今来的中国人，:-)。曾犯贱同志曾经曰过：中国人讲究阴阳，所以不敢象欧美那些人一样直接的表达自己的快乐，伤感。一般情况下，表达快乐的时候又不免有些伤感，表达伤感的时候又不免自欺欺人的快乐一把。

国外又不少的评论家批评这首诗说：既然整首诗就只有作者和割麦女，就没有必要在开头说“behold her...O,listen...”并且还有开头的那几个表示孤独的词语，好多人觉得太繁琐。