First Love

John Clare

First Love

John Clare

I never was struck before that hour,

With love so sudden and so sweet,

Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower,And stole my heart away complete.

My face turned pale as deadly pale,

My legs refused to walk away,

And when she looked“what could I ail?”

My life and all seemed turned to clay.

And then my blood rushed to my face,

And took my eyesight quiet away.

The trees and bushes round the place,

Seemed midnight at noonday,

I could not see a single thing,

Words from my eyes did start,

They spoke as chords do from the string,

And blood burnt round my heart,

Are flowers the winter’s choice?

Is love’s bed always snow?

She seemed to hear my silent voice,

And love appeals to know,

I never saw so sweet a face,

As that I stood before,

My heart has left its dwelling-place,

And can return no more.

(From when you are old,Tongxin press)

在那一刻之前，

我才被

突如其來的甜蜜愛情擊中。

她青春煥發的臉龐像鮮花一朵，

徹底地偷走了我的心。

我的臉變得蒼白，死一般的蒼白，

我的雙腿拒絕繼續行走，

當她顯示出“我為何苦惱”的神色，

我的生命及其一切似乎化為塵土。

那時，我的熱血涌上臉部，

眼中的視力不翼而飛。

周圍一片片樹木和叢林，

在正午之時化作了子夜。

我一切都無法看清，

言語開始從眼中流露，

如同從琴弦奏出旋律，

血液燃燒在我的心房。

是否鮮花是冬天的選擇？

是否愛巢始終就是白雪之絮？

她仿佛聽到了我沉默的聲音，

并且得知了愛情的呼吁。

我以前在此佇立之時，

從未見過這般甜美臉蛋。

我的心兒離開了棲息的地方，

而且永遠也無法返回。

（摘自《當你老了》同心出版社）

初 戀

[英]約翰·克萊爾