Walt Whitman - To a Certain Civilian 汉译

Did you ask dulcet rhymes from me?

Did you seek the civilian’s peaceful and languishing rhymes?

Did you find what I sang erewhile so hard to follow?

Why I was not singing erewhile for you to follow, to understand--nor

am I now;

(I have been born of the same as the war was born,

The drum-corps’ rattle is ever to me sweet music, I love well the

martial dirge,

With slow wail and convulsive throb leading the officer’s funeral;)

What to such as you anyhow such a poet as I? therefore leave my works,

And go lull yourself with what you can understand, and with piano-tunes,

For I lull nobody, and you will never understand me.

给某个平民

你是要我给你悦耳的韵律吗？

你要的是平民百姓的和平而伤感的韵律吗？

你觉得我不久前唱的歌很难听懂吗？

唉，我不久前唱的歌本不要求你听懂，理解——现在也一样；

（我的出现和战争的出现是一个来源，军鼓的咚咚声对我永远是甜美的音乐，我非常喜欢军中的哀乐，缓慢的悲鸣和抽噎在前面引领着军官的葬礼，）

我这样的诗人对你这样的人有什么相干呢？因此请抛开我的作品吧，

去找你能够理解的来安慰你自己吧，伴以钢琴的曲调，

因为我谁都不会安慰，而你也永远不会理解我。