All is Vanity, Saith the Preacher  

Fame, wisdom, love, and power were mine,

     And health and youth possess’d me;

  My goblets blush’d from every vine,

     And lovely forms caress’d me;

  I sunn’d my heart in beauty’s eyes,

     And felt my soul grow tender;

  All earth can give, or mortal prize,

     Was mine of regal splendour.

  I strive to number o’er what days

     Remembrance can discover,

  Which all that life or earth displays

     Would lure me to live over.

  There rose no day, there roll’d no hour

     Of pleasure unembitter’d:

  And not a trapping deck’d my power

     That gall’d not while it glitter’d.

  The serpent of the field, by art

     And spells, is won from harming;

  But that which coils around the heart,

     Oh! who hath power of charming?

  It will not list to wisdom’s lore,

     Nor music’s voice can lure it;

  But there it stings for evermore

     The soul that must endure it.

 

我有过荣名，才智，爱情，

  青春，健康，和精力；

葡萄常使我酒杯泛红，

  有俏影相偎相倚；

“美”曾像阳光，朗照我心房，

  我灵魂愈益温柔；

享人间珍品，拥天下宝藏，

  我曾像帝王般富有。

如今我极力搜寻记忆，

  把往事一一清点，

看此生有哪些珍奇的经历

  吸引我重温一遍。

没有哪一天，没有哪一时

  欢情不掺上苦味；

也没有哪一件华美的服饰

  不曾磨损而破碎。

田野的毒蛇，术士有本领

  防止它将人荼毒；

可是，当蛇虫蟠曲在心灵，

  谁能将它驯服？

它不肯倾听理智的声音，

  也不受乐曲引诱；

它无尽无休的啃咬着灵魂，

  灵魂却必得忍受！

（杨德豫 译）