莎士比亚十四行诗第154首 | 莎士比亚十四行诗

更新时间：1/19/2025, 12:32:34 PM

原文

The little Love-god lying once asleep
Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand,
Whilst many nymphs that vowed chaste life to keep
Came tripping by, but in her maiden hand
The fairest votary took up that fire,
Which many legions of true hearts had warmed;
And so the general of hot desire
Was, sleeping, by a virgin hand disarmed.
This brand she quenched in a cool well by,
Which from Love’s fire took heart perpetual,
Growing a bath and healthful remedy
For men diseased; but I, my mistress’ thrall,
Came there for cure, and this by that I prove:
Love’s fire heats water, water cools not love.

译文

小小的爱神，有一次睡得挺沉，把点燃爱火的火炬搁在身边，恰巧多少位信守贞洁的小女神轻步走来；最美的一位天仙用她的处女手把那曾经点燃无数颗爱心的火炬拿到一旁；如今那爱情之火的指挥者在酣眠，竟被贞女的素手解除了武装。她把火炬熄灭在近旁的冷泉中，泉水从爱火得到永恒的热力就变成温泉，对人间各种病痛都有灵效；但是我，我爱人的奴隶，也去求治，把道理看了出来：爱火烧热泉水，泉水凉不了爱。

注释

有的论者猜测：莎士比亚把同一题材写成两首诗，一同呈献给他的朋友，原意是要他的朋友挑选一首，而他的朋友把两首都留下了：前一首思想更丰富，后一首音调更悦耳。这就是第153首和本首。也有的论者认为这两首诗不是出自莎士比亚的手笔。译者有不同看法，译者认为，莎士比亚与青年的友谊和与女郎的爱情经历了欢乐、温馨、忧伤、痛苦、悲愤、怨望……整部十四行诗突现出一种悲剧意蕴。这种悲剧意蕴体现在诗人对人生际遇的深刻反思，升华到哲思的高度。最后两首十四行诗是一个寓言，体现诗人因友谊与爱情而得病，而能治好这病的药物又只能是友谊和爱情，于是形成了良性循环与恶性循环的交替不歇，悲剧意蕴由此产生。所以，这两首诗不是与整个情节无涉，而是整部十四行诗所涉及的人际关系的概括。