英汉对照|托马斯诗选：只不过是人

Being but men

Being but men, we walked into the trees

Afraid, letting our syllables be soft

For fear of waking the rooks,

For fear of coming

Noiselessly into a world of wings and cries.

If we were children we might climb,

Catch the rooks sleeping, and break no twig,

And, after the soft ascent,

Thrust out our heads above the branches

To wonder at the unfailing stars.

Out of confusion, as the way is,

And the wonder that man knows,

Out of the chaos would come bliss.

That, then, is loveliness, we said,

Children in wonder watching the stars,

Is the aim and the end.

Being but men, we walked into the trees.

只不过是人

只不过是人，我们走进了树林

诚惶诚恐，柔声细语地

唯恐吵醒白嘴鸦

唯恐悄无声息

走进一个翅膀和啼鸣的世界。

如果还是孩子，我们也许会爬上树，

捉住睡梦中的白嘴鸦，不折断一根枝丫，

蹑手蹑脚地爬上树冠，

在枝叶之上，探出我们的脑袋

惊叹于漫天不灭的星斗。

不再困惑，仿佛那条路，

不再惊叹于众所周知的奇迹，

混沌之余必将迎来天赐的幸福。

然后就是，我们所说的可爱，

孩子们惊奇地瞭望漫天的星斗，

那就是目标与终点。

只不过是人，我们走进了树林。