Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)

Character

The sun set; but set not his hope:

Stars rose; his faith was earlier up:

Fixed on the enormous galaxy,

Deeper and older seemed his eye:

And matched his sufferance sublime

The taciturnity of time.

He spoke, and words more soft than rain

Brought the Age of Gold again:

His action won such reverence sweet

As hid all measure of the feat.

拉尔夫·沃尔多·爱默生 （1803 – 1882）

品格

日落，他的希望没有沉寂：

星出，他的信仰早已升起：

他凝望浩瀚银河的双眼，

比银河更加深邃、古远：

与他那崇高的宽容、隐忍，

那时光的缄默，多么相称。

他的话语，比细雨更柔和，

能让黄金时代重现如昨：

他的行为赢得众人崇敬，

因丰功伟绩都隐介藏形。

（晚枫2012年3月译）

（选自 Great Short Poems 《短诗精萃》  Edited by Paul Negri – A Dover Thrift Editions Book）

注释：

Age of Gold:  Greek & Roman Mythology The first age of the world, an untroubled and prosperous era during which people lived in ideal happiness. 指希腊罗马神话中人类的创始时代，即第一世纪，是一个平静、富饶，人们生活在理想的幸福状态的时代。