Elizabeth Barrett Browning - Sonnets from the Portuguese / 布朗宁夫人：葡萄牙人十四行诗集

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861), English poet of the Victorian era.
Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850) is a sequence of 44 love sonnets written to her husband Robert Browning.
The title is a playful reference to Robert's pet name for her — "my little Portuguese."

伊丽莎白·巴雷特·勃朗宁（1806-1861），维多利亚时代英国诗人。
《葡萄牙人十四行诗集》（1850）共44首，是她写给丈夫罗伯特·勃朗宁的爱情十四行诗。
标题是戏谑地引用罗伯特对她的昵称——"我的小葡萄牙人"。

Sonnet I — I Thought Once How Theocritus Had Sung / 第一首 — 我曾想忒奥克里托斯如何歌唱

English

I thought once how Theocritus had sung Of the sweet years, the dear and wished-for years, Who each one in a gracious hand appears To bear a gift for mortals, old or young: And, as I mused it in his antique tongue, I saw, in gradual vision through my tears, The sweet, sweet years, that breed against me, fears Lest life should fail beneath the scourge they flung. But while I wept, I felt a mystic Shape Move up behind me, and drew me backward by the hair; A silver voice said, 'Guess now who holds thee!' — 'Death,' I said. But, silver-voiced, the other answered, 'Nay, Not Death, but Love.'

中文翻译

我曾想忒奥克里托斯如何歌唱那些甜蜜的岁月，珍贵的、令人渴望的岁月，每一岁都以优雅的手出现为凡人带来礼物，无论老少：当我用他古老的语言沉思时，透过泪水，我在逐渐展开的幻象中看见，那些甜蜜的岁月，在我面前滋生恐惧—— 唯恐生命在它们挥舞的鞭笞下消亡。但当我哭泣时，我感到一个神秘的身影移上我身后，抓住我的头发将我向后拉；一个银色的声音说："猜猜现在谁握着你！"——"死神，"我说。但那银色的声音回答："不，不是死神，是爱。"

Note / 注: The opening sonnet of the sequence sets the dramatic stage. The poet expects Death but is seized by Love instead — a reversal that frames the entire collection as a testimony to love's unexpected, transformative power.

诗集的开篇十四行诗奠定了戏剧性的基调。诗人预期的是死神，却被爱所俘获——这一反转为整部诗集定下了爱的出乎意料与变革之力的证言。

Sonnet X — Yet, Love, Mere Love, Is Beautiful Indeed / 第十首

English

Yet, love, mere love, is beautiful indeed And worthy of acceptation. Fire is bright, Let temple burn, or flax. An equal light Leaps in the flame from cedar-plank or weed. And love is fire; and when I say at need 'I love thee … mark! … I love thee'—in my sight I feel my glory (nay, I feel this quite) As bright as thine. What! didst thou think the creed Of love ran otherwise?—that love could stand On pedestals of virtue, cold and high, While love's great soul is prostrate in the sand, A beggar? No! Love's fire has the same shine From heart to heart—from mine to thee, my friend, From thee to me. Love is not different For different hearts. All love is beautiful.

中文翻译

然而，爱，纯粹的爱，确实美丽值得接受。火是明亮的，无论烧的是庙宇还是亚麻。同等的光从雪松板或杂草的火焰中跃出。爱就是火；当我在需要时说 "我爱你……听好了！……我爱你"——在我眼中我感到我的荣光（是的，我确实感到）与你的一样明亮。什么！你以为爱的信条不是如此吗？——以为爱能站在美德的基座上，冷漠而高高在上，而爱的伟大灵魂却匍匐在沙地上，做一个乞丐？不！爱的火焰有同样的光辉从心到心——从我的心到你的心，我的朋友，从你的心到我的心。爱不因不同的心而不同。所有的爱都是美丽的。

Sonnet XIV — If Thou Must Love Me / 第十四首 — 如果你一定要爱我

English

If thou must love me, let it be for naught Except for love's sake only. Do not say 'I love her for her smile—her look—her way Of speaking gently,—for a trick of thought That falls in well with mine, and certes brought A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'— For those things in themselves, Beloved, may Be changed in themselves, or change for thee,— And love, so wrought, may be unwrought so. Neither love me for thine own sweet pity's Wiping my cheeks dry. A creature might Forget to weep, who bore thy comfort long, And lose thy dear love by being comforted! But love me for love's sake, that evermore Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.

中文翻译

如果你一定要爱我，请不要为任何缘由，只为了爱。不要说 "我爱她为了她的微笑——她的容颜——她温柔说话的方式——为了一个心思与我的相合，确实在某一天带来了一种愉快的安逸"—— 因为这些事物本身，亲爱的，可能本身就会改变，或为你而变—— 而如此铸就的爱，也可能如此消解。也不要为了你自己的甜蜜怜悯擦干我的脸颊而爱我。一个生灵可能忘记哭泣，如果承受了你太久的安慰，因为被安慰而失去你珍贵的爱！但为了爱而爱我吧，这样你永远可以继续爱下去，穿越爱的永恒。

Note / 注: A powerful statement on the nature of love — Browning insists that love must be unconditional, not based on any quality that might change. "Love me for love's sake" is one of the most quoted demands in love poetry.

这是一首关于爱之本质的有力宣言——勃朗宁坚持爱必须是无条件的，不基于任何可能改变的品质。"为了爱而爱我"是爱情诗中最常被引用的要求之一。

Sonnet XXI — Say Over Again / 第二十一首 — 再说一遍

English

Say over again, and yet once over again, That thou dost love me. Though the word repeated Seems to thee a cuckoo-song, as thou dost treat it, Remember, never from the hill, or plain, Valley, or wood, comes cuckoo-voiced in vain, But always the fresh spring greets it. As in fresh springs all pulses stir, do thou Even so repeat thy love, and beat it clear With silver notes. Say it, though thou dost fear That I, with listening, might grow proud, for true And constant love can never be too loud, Nor can be said too often. Let me hear The cuckoo-spring of thy love, and know That thou dost love me, and that love will grow.

中文翻译

再说一遍，然后再说一遍，说你爱我。虽然这重复的话在你听来像布谷鸟的歌声，请记住，无论山丘还是平原，无论山谷还是树林，布谷鸟从不白叫，总是迎接新鲜的春天。如同春天里所有脉搏跃动，请重复你的爱，用银色的音符清晰地敲击。说出来吧，虽然你怕我听了会变得骄傲，因为真挚恒久的爱永远不会太响亮，也不会被说得太多。让我听见你爱的布谷鸟之春，知道你爱我，而且爱还在生长。

Sonnet XXII — When Our Two Souls Stand Up Erect and Strong / 第二十二首 — 当我们的灵魂并肩挺立

English

When our two souls stand up erect and strong, Face to face, silent, drawing nigh and nigher, Until the lengthening wings break into fire At either curved point,—what bitter wrong Can the earth do to us, that we should not long Be here contented? Think! In mounting higher, The angels would press on us, and aspire To drop some golden orb of perfect song Into our deep, dear silence. Let us stay Rather on earth, Beloved,—for the sake Of that sweet human love which angels may Look down on and desire to share, nor take Their heaven from us. Stay close: the human things Are dear to us, and we to human things.

中文翻译

当我们的灵魂并肩挺立，坚强有力，面对面，沉默着，越来越近，越来越近，直到伸展的翅膀在每一个弯曲的端点迸发出火焰——大地能对我们施加什么苦涩的不公，使我们不能满足于此？想想！在向更高处飞升时，天使们会向我们挤压，渴望将某个完美歌声的金色球体投入我们深邃的、珍贵的沉默。让我们留在大地上吧，亲爱的——为了那甜蜜的人间之爱，天使们也许会俯身凝视并渴望分享，却不会从我们手中夺走天堂。紧紧相依：人间的事物对我们珍贵，我们对人间的事物也珍贵。

Note / 注: One of the most sublime love sonnets in English. Browning imagines two souls standing so close that their wings ignite — and then chooses earth over heaven, because human love is something even angels might envy.

这是英语文学中最崇高的爱情十四行诗之一。勃朗宁想象两个灵魂靠得如此近以至于翅膀着火——然后选择留在人间而非天堂，因为人间的爱连天使都会嫉妒。

Sonnet XXVIII — My Letters! All Dead Paper, Mute and White / 第二十八首 — 我的信！全是死去的纸

English

My letters! all dead paper, mute and white! And yet they seem alive and quivering Against my tremulous hand, and loose with stir Of my heart's pulse. They lie upon my lap Like a friend's letters, written in friendly haste, That dropped and came unsent. Dear proofs of love, Dear mystic signs of a beloved's thought, O hearts beating in the silence! Let me read These letters slowly, slowly, as they bring Back every look and accent, every touch Of that dear hand that wrote them. How I fold And press the words that told me thou didst love me, And make them close and secret, as a charm To keep thy love for ever near my heart.

中文翻译

我的信！全是死去的纸，沉默而苍白！然而它们似乎还活着，在我颤抖的手中悸动震颤，随着我心跳的脉搏一起松动。它们躺在我的膝上如同友人的来信，在友好的匆忙中写就，寄出了又未曾送达。爱的珍贵证明，爱人思念的神秘标记，哦，在寂静中跳动的心！让我慢慢地读这些信，慢慢地，因为它们带回了每一个眼神和语调，每一次写下它们的那只亲爱的手的触碰。我如何折叠和按压那些告诉我你爱我的话语，把它们紧密而秘密地藏起，如同一个护符让你的爱永远贴近我的心。

Sonnet XXXII — When We Two Stood Together / 第三十二首 — 当我们两人站在一起

English

When we two stood together, face to face, With eyes that seemed to read each other's thought, And lips that seemed to breathe each other's prayer— O dearest, didst thou know, as I did know, The meaning of that silence which we made, Not daring to speak out? A pause in life— A breathing-time of angels—while the soul Went up to God and said, 'Thy will be done!' Then, as we parted, didst thou hear, as I did, A voice within, that whispered, 'Be content: God means thee well. This man (or woman) loves thee— And in the loving, God Himself is kind.' So let us rest, Beloved, face to face, And let God's will be done in us and through us.

中文翻译

当我们两人站在一起，面对面，眼睛似乎在读懂对方的心思，嘴唇似乎在呼吸对方的祈祷—— 哦，亲爱的，你是否如我一样知道我们所创造的沉默的含义，不敢大声说出？生命中的停顿—— 天使的呼吸时刻——而灵魂升向上帝说："愿你的旨意成就！" 然后，当我们分别时，你是否如我一样听见一个内在的声音低语："满足吧：上帝善待你。这个人爱你—— 在爱中，上帝自身也是仁慈的。" 所以让我们安息，亲爱的，面对面，让上帝的旨意在我们身上、通过我们成就。

Sonnet XLIII — How Do I Love Thee? / 第四十三首 — 我怎样爱你

English

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

中文翻译（方平译）

我怎样爱你？让我细数方式。我爱你直到我灵魂所及的深度、广度和高度，我在视力不及之处摸索着存在的极致和美的理想。我爱你像最朴素的日常需要一样，不自觉地需要阳光和蜡烛。我自由地爱你，像人们选择正义之路，我纯洁地爱你，像人们躲避称赞颂扬。我爱你用的是我在昔日的悲痛中用过的那种激情，以及童年的忠诚。我爱你用的爱，我本以为早已失去（与我失去的圣徒一同）；我爱你用笑容、眼泪、呼吸和生命！只要上帝允许，在死后我将更加爱你。

Note / 注: "How Do I Love Thee?" is arguably the most famous love poem in the English language. Written in 1845-1846 during Barrett Browning's courtship with Robert Browning, it catalogs the many dimensions of love — spiritual, daily, free, pure, passionate, and eternal. The final line's promise of loving "better after death" transforms the sonnet into an act of faith as much as a declaration of love.

《我怎样爱你》可以说是英语语言中最著名的爱情诗。写于1845-1846年勃朗宁与罗伯特·勃朗宁的恋爱期间，它列举了爱的多个维度——精神的、日常的、自由的、纯洁的、热烈的、永恒的。最后一句"死后更加爱你"的承诺将这首十四行诗转化为一种信仰的行为，也是一种爱的宣言。

Sonnet XLIV — Beloved, Thou Hast Brought Me Many Flowers / 第四十四首

English

Beloved, thou hast brought me many flowers Plucked in the garden, all the summer through And winter, and it seemed to me that I Received in each a separate gift of thee, As if a separate love were given with each. The roses said, 'I am his love.' The pinks Said, 'Nay, his love is mine.' And so they vied, Till all the flowers, in a tumultuous throng, Cried out, 'We all are his love!' Then I took them all And pressed them to my heart, and said, 'My flowers, Ye all are his love, and his love is all That I desire in this world.' And so I kept The flowers together, and they did not fade, But grew more fragrant, as his love grew dear.

中文翻译

亲爱的，你给我带来了许多花朵从花园里采摘，经过整个夏天和冬天，在我看来每一朵都是你分别送给我的礼物，仿佛每朵花都带着一份独立的爱。玫瑰说："我是他的爱。"石竹说："不，他的爱是我的。"它们就这样争辩，直到所有的花，在骚动的人群中喊道："我们全都是他的爱！"于是我把它们全都收下，按在心口，说："我的花啊，你们全都是他的爱，而他的爱就是我在这世上所渴望的一切。"就这样我把花束在一起，它们没有凋谢，而是变得更加芬芳，如同他的爱变得更加珍贵。

English texts based on the 1850 first edition. Chinese translations drawn from published Chinese editions (方平 and other translators).

英文原文基于1850年第一版。中文翻译取自已出版的中文译本（方平等译者）。