William Wordsworth - On the Extinction of the Venetian Republic 汉译

Once did she hold the gorgeous East in fee; 

  And was the safeguard of the West: the worth 

  Of Venice did not fall below her birth,    

Venice, the eldest Child of Liberty.      

She was a maiden City, bright and free;      

  No guile seduced, no force could violate;

  And, when she took unto herself a mate, 

She must espouse the everlasting Sea.  

And what if she had seen those glories fade,

  Those titles vanish, and that strength decay;

Yet shall some tribute of regret be paid

  When her long life hath reach’d its final day:  

Men are we, and must grieve when even the Shade

  Of that which once was great is pass’d away.   

为威尼斯共和国覆亡而作

锦绣东方曾一度归她主宰；

  西方也靠她卫护，受她庇荫；

  威尼斯的声价无愧于她的身份——

她原是自由女神第一个婴孩。

贞淑如处女，明艳而从容自在，

  阴谋和暴力都对她丝毫无损；

  当她有意为自己找一个情人，

她便选中了万古如斯的大海。

后来呢，她权势衰颓，荣华枯槁，

  尊严沦落，谁能料世事茫茫；

而当她悠长的生命终于不保，

  我们却难免别有一番惆怅：

我们是凡人，不能不伤感，当看到