The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry,
Under the October twilight, the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming1 water among the stones
Are nine-and-fifty swans.

The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
Since I first make my count;
I saw, before I had well finished,
All suddenly mount2
And scatter3 wheeling4 in great broken rings
Upon their wings.

The falling leaves drift by the window
the autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips the summer kisses
the sunburned5 hands I used to hold
since you went away the days grow long
and soon I’ll hear old winter’s song
but I miss you most of all
my darling
when autumn leaves start to fall

I remember quite clearly now when the story happened. The autumn leaves were floating in measure down to the ground, recovering the lake where we used to swim like children, under the sun was there to shine. That time we used to be happy. Well, I thought we were. But the truth was that you had been longing to leave me, not daring to tell me.
On that precious night, watching the lake, vaguely7 conscious, you said:“Our story was ending.”
The rain was killing the last days of summer. You had been killing my last breath of love, since a long time ago.
I’m standing here alone. It doesn’t seem so clear to me. What am I supposed to do about this burning heart of mine?

---

树木裹着瑰丽的秋妆，
林间小径不再潮湿，
十月暮色笼罩下，湖水
映照这片静谧的天空；
而在乱石间流淌的溪水中，
浮游着五十九只天鹅。

自我初次数天鹅，
第十九个秋天已翩然而至。
我还来不及数清，就看到
它们倏地全部飞起，
盘旋在天空，翅膀拍打着，
围成大而破碎的圈。
            ——（《柯尔的野天鹅》“The Wild Swans at Coole”，叶芝）
当落叶飘过我的窗前
金红色的秋叶令我想起
夏日吻过你的双唇
还有我轻握过的滚烫的手
因为你走了，日子变得如此漫长
而我又将听到那古老的冬日的歌
我是多么地想念你
亲爱的，在这秋叶开始飘落的季节
   ——（《秋叶》 “Autumn Leaves6”）

现在，我仍然清楚地记得故事的开端。秋叶纷飞，飘落一地。我们曾像孩子般畅游的湖面积满落叶，在太阳下闪闪发光。那个时刻，我们如此幸福。哦，我想我们曾经幸福过。但事实是你很久以前就想离开我，却不敢告诉我。
在那个值得珍惜的夜，望着湖水，恍惚之中听见你说：“我们的故事快要结束。”
雨扼杀了最后的夏日，而长久以来，你一直在扼杀我最后的爱。
我独自伫立于此，对逝去的一切尚不清醒。这颗燃烧的心该何去何从？
       ——(《秋之湖》 “Lake of Autumn”，无名氏)

 

1. brim [brim] v. 注满
2. mount [maunt] v. 骑上，上升。此处意为“飞起”。
3. scatter  v. （使）散开
4. wheel v. 转动
5. sunburned    adj. 炽热的
6. 《秋叶》原为作曲家Joseph Kosma（1905—1969）在1945年于法国所创作的香颂，因其旋律、歌词意境幽美而被众多歌手演绎成数个版本传唱至今。
7. vaguely  adv. 含糊地