雙語美文：愛神

Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back，

Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love，observing me grow slack

From my first entrance in，

Drew nearer to me，sweetly questioning

If I lacked anything.

愛神歡迎我的到來，而我的靈魂卻在退縮，

蒙著浮世的灰塵與負罪的愧疚。

從我進門的那刻，

我那無精打采的神情，逃不過愛神雪亮的眼睛。

她輕輕靠近，綿言細問，

感覺有何欠缺。

“A guest,” I answered， “worthy to be here.”

Love said, “You shall be he.”

“I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah，my dear，

I cannot look on Thee.”

Love took my hand and smiling did reply，

“Who made the eyes but I?”

“一位客人，” 我說，“配得上當你的賓客的人。 ”

愛神說：“你將會是那位賓客。”

“我，如此冷酷無情、忘恩負義的人?啊，親愛的，

我無法直視你。”

愛神拉起我的手，嫣然回應：

“無我何來明眸?”

“Truth, Lord; but I have marred them” let my shame

Go where it doth deserve.”

“And know you not,” says Love, “Who bore the blame?”

“My dear, then I will serve.”

“You must sit down, ” says Love， “and taste my meat.”

So I did sit and eat.

“上帝啊，老天爺，但我毀損了其完美;讓我心中羞愧

得到其應有的懲罰吧。”

“我知道這不是你的錯，”愛神說，“誰該背負這種罪名呢?”

“親愛的，既然如此，我愿為你效勞。”

“你定當就坐，”愛神說，“細品我的生命。”

于是我坐下，品嘗這愛的宴席。