向逆境中的友人坦承

自从我远离后，我对你的逆境

感受减弱了，尽管逆境并未改善；

我甚至露出了旧日的笑容，漠然，

但毕竟是微笑，不是咧嘴的嘲弄。

一个念头太出格，我脑中难容，

但我察觉，它在周遭萦绕不散：

我不想再热衷打听你的辛酸，

免得与你分忧，而重新惹我悲痛……

这念头多么像不祥之鸟或海盗——

逍遥法外的身影在海上漂游，

忠诚的心啊，一心想彻底赶开

这一盘踞此地的不体面的念头；

可是，老友啊，有这种下意识存在，

即使驱走了，我心中何等难受！

1866年

Neutral Tones

We stood by a pond that winter day,

And the sun was white, as though chidden by God,

And a few leaves lay on the starving sod;

— They had fallen from an ash, and were gray.

Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove

Over tedious riddles of years ago;

And some words played between us to and fro

On which lost the more by our love.

The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing

Alive enough to have strength to die;

And a grin of bitterness swept thereby

Like an ominous bird a-wing…

Since then, keen lessons that love deceives,

And wrings with wrong, have shaped to me

Your face, and the God-curst sun, and a tree,

And a pond edged with grayish leaves.

1867