First Love BY JOHN CLARE

First Love

BY JOHN CLARE

 

I ne’er was struck before that hour

   With love so sudden and so sweet,

Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower

   And stole my heart away complete.

My face turned pale as deadly pale,

   My legs refused to walk away,

And when she looked, what could I ail?

   My life and all seemed turned to clay.

 

And then my blood rushed to my face

   And took my eyesight quite away,

The trees and bushes round the place

   Seemed midnight at noonday.

I could not see a single thing,

   Words from my eyes did start—

They spoke as chords do from the string,

   And blood burnt round my heart.

 

Are flowers the winter’s choice?

   Is love’s bed always snow?

She seemed to hear my silent voice,

   Not love's appeals to know.

I never saw so sweet a face

   As that I stood before.

My heart has left its dwelling-place

   And can return no more.

 

初戀

 

那一刻我被初戀撞擊

被初戀的迅猛和溫柔，

她的臉如鮮花顫枝

把我的心兒偷走。

我的麵容瀕死樣蒼白，

我的雙腿不能移步，

當她目光問詢，我的煩惱自何來？

我和周遭化為泥土。

 

隨後熱血湧上我的臉頰

蒙蔽著我的眼睛，

身旁樹木失光華

午時披著深夜的魅影。

我的雙眼不能看見， 

我的雙眼在娓娓訴說－

句句如和聲回旋，

熱血圍著我心燃灼。

 

鮮花可否是冬天的期許？

愛情的苗床可否總是覆雪？

她仿佛聽到我無聲的心語，

惜未觸開愛情的心扉。

我再未見那般溫柔的臉龐

雖曾麵麵相對，

我的心也已離居遠航

依然遙遙無歸。