Yarrow Unvisited(1)
Wordsworth
From Stirling castle we had seen
The mazy Forth unravelled(2)；
Had trod the banks of Clyde，and Tay(3)，
And with the Tweed had travelled(4)；
And when we came to Clovenford(5)，
Then said my “winsome marrow(6)，”
“Whate’er betide，we’ll turn aside，
And see the braes of Yarrow.”
“Let Yarrow folk，frae Selkirk town(7)，
Who have been buying，selling，
Go back to Yarrow，‘tis their own；
Each maiden to her dwelling!
On Yarrow’s banks let herons feed，
Hares couch，and rabbits burrow!
But we will downward with the Tweed，
Nor turn aside to Yarrow.
“There’s Galla Water，Leader Haughs(8)，
Both lying right before us；
And Dryborough，where with chiming Tweed(9)
The lintwhites sing in chorus；
There’s pleasant Teviot-dale，a land(10)
Made blithe with plough and harrow:
Why throw away a needful day
To go in search of Yarrow?
“What’s Yarrow but a river bare，
That glides the dark hills under?
There are a thousand such elsewhere
As worthy of your wonder.”
—Strange words they seemed of slight and scorn；
My True-love sighed for sorrow；
And looked me in the face，to think
I thus could speak of Yarrow!
“O! green，”said I，“are Yarrow’s holms，
And sweet is Yarrow flowing!
Fair hangs the apple frae the rock(11)，
But we will leave it growing.
O’er hilly path，and open Strath，
We’ll wander Scotland thorough；
But，though so near，we will not turn
Into the dale of Yarrow.
“Let beeves and home-bred kine partake
The sweets of Burn-mill meadow(12)；
The swan on still St. Mary’s Lake(13)
Float double，swan and shadow!
We will not see them；will not go，
To-day，nor yet to-morrow；
Enough if in our hearts we know
There’s such a place as Yarrow.
“Be Yarrow stream unseen，unknown!
It must，or we shall rue it:
We have a vision of our own；
Ah! why should we undo it?
The treasured dreams of times long past，
We’ll keep them，winsome marrow!
For when we’re there，although ’tis fair，
‘Twill be another Yarrow!
“If Care with freezing years should come，
And wandering seem but folly，—
Should we be loth to stir from home，
And yet be melancholy；
Should life be dull，and spirits low，
‘Twill soothe us in our sorrow，
That earth has something yet to show，
The bonny holms of Yarrow!”
(1)雅鲁河在苏格兰南部塞尔扣克郡，流经洛斯湖和圣玛丽湖，汇入埃特里克河。因景色秀丽，常为诗人所吟咏。威廉•汉密尔顿（1704—1754）和约翰•洛甘（1748—1788）都有题为《雅鲁河堤岸》的名作。华兹华斯兄妹自幼熟读这些诗篇，对雅鲁河有丰富生动的想象。在《未访的雅鲁河》一诗中，作者通过兄妹对话的形式，宣称：他宁愿长期保留他想象中的雅鲁形象，也不愿亲临雅鲁而导致这一形象的破坏或改变。华兹华斯常常觉得：想象中的事物比感官所接触的事物更为重要，也更为真实。
(2)斯特灵城，苏格兰中南部斯特灵郡的首府。市内城堡巍峨，可以凭高望远。福斯河在苏格兰中南部。
(3)泰河在苏格兰中部，是苏格兰最长的河流。克莱德河在苏格兰西南部。
(4)特威德河在苏格兰东南部。
(5)克洛文福德位于三岔路口，通往塞尔扣克城（塞尔扣克郡首府）和通往雅鲁镇（雅鲁河北岸一集镇）的路从这里分开。
(6)“可爱的伴侣”一语出自汉密尔顿的《雅鲁河堤岸》一诗。华兹华斯借用此语来指他的妹妹多萝西。
(7)从这一行起，是作者对他妹妹的回答。“塞尔扣克”指塞尔扣克城。
(8)盖拉河是特威德河的支流。利德河在苏格兰东南部贝里克郡，“淤地”指河边平坦的冲积地。苏格兰有一首题为《利德河淤地》的著名歌谣，为司各特和华兹华斯所喜爱。
(9)德莱堡，特威德河边的集镇。
(10)梯维奥河是特威德河的支流。梯维奥谷地即梯维奥河两岸的谷地。
(11)这行诗见于汉密尔顿的《雅鲁河堤岸》。
(12)“本密尔”这个地名，是华兹华斯从苏格兰歌谣《利德河淤地》中借用的。那首歌谣中提到“本密尔沼地”。
(13)圣玛丽湖在塞尔扣克郡，雅鲁河流过此湖。
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发表于 2016-3-14 11:57
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