Adam'sCurseWesattogetheratonesummer'send,Thatbeautifulmildwoman,yourclosefriend,AndyouandI,andtalkedofpoetry.

Isaid,‘Alinewilltakeushoursmaybe;Yetifitdoesnotseemamoment'sthought,Ourstitchingandunstitchinghasbeennaught.

Bettergodownuponyourmarrow-bonesAndscrubakitchenpavement,orbreakstonesLikeanoldpauper,inallkindsofweather;FortoarticulatesweetsoundstogetherIstoworkharderthanallthese,andyetBethoughtanidlerbythenoisysetOfbankers,schoolmasters,andclergymenThemartyrscalltheworld.

'AndthereuponThatbeautifulmildwomanforwhosesakeThere'smanyaoneshallfindoutallheartacheOnfindingthathervoiceissweetandlowReplied,‘Tobebornwomanistoknow—Althoughtheydonottalkofitatschool—Thatwemustlabourtobebeautiful.

'Isaid,‘It'scertainthereisnofinethingSinceAdam'sfallbutneedsmuchlabouring.

TherehavebeenloverswhothoughtloveshouldbeSomuchcompoundedofhighcourtesyThattheywouldsighandquotewithlearnedlooksPrecedentsoutofbeautifuloldbooks;Yetnowitseemsanidletradeenough.

'Wesatgrownquietatthenameoflove;Wesawthelastembersofdaylightdie,Andinthetremblingblue-greenoftheskyAmoon,wornasifithadbeenashellWashedbytime'swatersastheyroseandfellAboutthestarsandbrokeindaysandyears.

Ihadathoughtfornoone'sbutyourears：Thatyouwerebeautiful,andthatIstroveToloveyouintheoldhighwayoflove;Thatithadallseemedhappy,andyetwe'dgrownAsweary-heartedasthathollowmoon.

亚当的诅咒那个美丽温柔的女子，你的密友，还有你我，谈诗论艺；我说一个诗行要消磨掉漫长的时间，如若不似天成偶得，再多的推敲都是枉然。

若那样，还不如去擦洗厨房的瓷砖，或者敲碎石块，像一个老丐那般，无论天气好坏；因为连缀美妙的音色难于所有的一切，却还要被那些聒噪的银行家、校长与牧师等等认作游手好闲。

”那美丽温柔的女子作答，她低低的甜美的声音触痛过许多颗敏感的心：尽管学校里不会谈论，但生为女人就会知道，我们该努力去追求美丽。

”我说：是啊，从亚当堕落以来，所有美好的东西都要人耗费精力，恋人们曾经认为，爱情该伴以高尚的礼仪，他们以博学的表情从漂亮的古书里引征，如今看来，却全属无益。

”话题触到爱情，我们突然无语，坐看夕阳燃尽，白昼消隐；在晦暗的天空，月亮如一只残落的贝壳，在时间的潮汐中，在星辰的明灭中，日渐消损。

有个念头只能说给你听，你那般美，而我，曾竭力爱你以古代恋人的高贵方式。

那似曾是幸福的，而如今我们倦怠的心正如此刻残落的月轮。

【双语诗歌|叶芝：亚当的诅咒 Adam's Curse查看网站：[db:时间]】