On His Deceased Wife/John Milton

METHOUGHT I saw my late espousèd Saint     

 Brought to me like Alcestis from the grave,   

 Whom Joves great Son to her glad Husband gave,   

 Rescu'd from death by force though pale and faint.   

Mine as whom washt from spot of child-bed taint,

 Purification in the old Law did save,   

 And such, as yet once more I trust to have   

 Full sight of her in Heaven without restraint,   

Came vested all in white, pure as her mind:   

 Her face was vail'd, yet to my fancied sight,   

 Love, sweetness, goodness, in her person shin'd   

So clear, as in no face with more delight.   

 But O as to embrace me she enclin'd   

 I wak'd, she fled, and day brought back my night.

哀亡妻

我仿佛看见

我心中的圣人-我那逝去的妻，

被从坟墓里带到我的面前,

就像气若游丝， 面色苍白的阿尔塞斯蒂斯,

被宙斯的英雄的儿子从死神手中奋力救起

送到她兴奋不已的丈夫怀里。

而我的妻， 清除了产子带来的污秽，

按照旧约已重新获得洁净，

据此， 我一直坚信

有一天在天国里我会清晰无碍地看到她，

如今， 她来了，

身披素装， 洁如其心：却蒙着面纱，

然而呈入我充满热望眼帘的，

乃是她的爱， 她的甜蜜， 她的善良，

在她身上熠熠生光，

还有她那不曾在任何人脸上浮现过的欢畅。

但当她正要俯身拥抱我，

我骤然惊醒， 她随之殒散，

白天的光明将我带回到黑暗。