英漢對照|托馬斯詩選：只不過是人

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.

只不過是人

只不過是人，我們走進了樹林

誠惶誠恐，柔聲細語地

唯恐吵醒白嘴鴉

唯恐悄無聲息

走進一個翅膀和啼鳴的世界。

如果還是孩子，我們也許會爬上樹，

捉住睡夢中的白嘴鴉，不折斷一根枝丫，

躡手躡腳地爬上樹冠，

在枝葉之上，探出我們的腦袋

驚嘆于漫天不滅的星斗。

不再困惑，仿佛那條路，

不再驚嘆于眾所周知的奇跡，

混沌之余必將迎來天賜的幸福。

然后就是，我們所說的可愛，

孩子們驚奇地瞭望漫天的星斗，

那就是目標與終點。

只不過是人，我們走進了樹林。