若我是你，哦小蝴蝶

若我是你，哦小蝴蝶

 

若我是你，哦小蝴蝶，

會平衡紫翼去辨別

最甜蜜花的活與絕，

 

不會於此浪費力量，

像你——因夏已成過往，

紫羅蘭雪裏不開放。

 

若我是你，哦小工蜂，

我看到的蜂蜜之精，

吸於玫瑰多輕鬆，

 

不會建巢在人家門，

像你——商店的繼承人

讓他富有，讓我清貧。

 

若我是你，驕傲的鷹，

並大聲尖叫著雷聲，

麵對閃電來自雲空，

 

不會建造鷹巢王座，

像你——石上搖搖欲落，

下一場風暴會倒墮

 

若我是你，英勇之騮

用奔蹄和飛舞頭顱，

眼睛超越你的速度，

 

我不會屈服於韁繩，

沙漠的鼻息和不寧

像你——不能撫平鼻孔。

 

 

若我是你，哦紅胸鳥，

聽著窗戶裏的歌謠，

像愛的甜蜜推久了，

 

我不會過分樂觀，

像你——但要乘著飛燕，

直到新春重新出現。

 

說話時，額頭被觸摸

一下，驕傲蒙受汙濁

因此，想一想，天使說——

 

“若我是你唱著這歌，

對人最明智，最獨特

是錯誤中看到正確，

 

“不會像你浪費關心，

選擇失去必須找尋，

收益在使用中耗盡。

 

“不能勝處不去作戰，

像你——悲傷和罪惡間，

上麵觀看，裏麵判斷。

                                                                            

“不讓脈搏跳得太滿，

像你——走向名聲威嚴，

沒陷入愛情的巨險。

 

“不會為嚴寒而戰鬥。

而你——世界合適之物，

拿上帝的自由用度。

 

“不會用盡地球之冬，

像你——束緊我的魂靈，

為逝去和懷疑而生。

 

“唱吧，歌手！——不情之請，

獸、蠅和鳥，愚蠢被稱，

（你曾嗤笑）你樣聰明！”

 

 

 

If I were thou, O butterfly

 

If I were thou, O butterfly,

And poised my purple wing to spy

The sweetest flowers that live and die,

 

I would not waste my strength on those,

As thou -- for summer has a close,

And pansies bloom not in the snows.

 

If I were thou, O working bee,

And all that honey-gold I see,

Could delve from roses easily,

 

I would not hive it at man's door,

As thou -- that heirdom of my store

Should make him rich, and leave me poor.

 

If I were thou, O eagle proud,

And screamed the thunder back aloud,

And faced the lightning from the cloud,

 

I would not build my eyrie-throne,

As thou -- upon a crumbling stone,

Which the next storm may trample down

 

If I were thou, O gallant steed,

With pawing hoof, and dancing head,

And eye outrunning thine own speed,

 

I would not meeken to the rein,

As thou -- nor smooth my nostril plain

From the glad desert's snort and strain.

 

If I were thou, red-breasted bird,

With song at shut-up window heard,

Like Love's sweet yes too long deferred,

 

I would not overstay delight,

As thou -- but take a swallow-flight,

Till the new spring returned to sight.

 

While yet I spake, a touch as laid

Upon my brow, whose pride did fiule

And thus, methought, an angel said --

 

"If I were thou who sing'st this song,

Most wise for others, and most strong

In seeing right while doing wrong,

 

"I would not waste my cares, and choose,

As thou -- to seek what thou must lose,

Such gains as perish in the use.

 

"I would not work where none can win,

As thou -- half way 'twixt grief and sin,

But look above, and judge within.

 

"I would not let my pulse beat high,

As thou -- towards fame's regality,

Nor yet in love's great jeopardy.

 

"I would not champ the hard cold bit.

As thou -- of what the world thinks fit,

But take God's freedom, using it.

 

"I would not play earth's winter out,

As thou -- but gird my soul about,

And live for life past death aud doubt.

 

"Then sing, O singer ! -- but allow,

Beast, fly, and bird, called foolish now,

Are wise (for all thy scorn) as thou!"

 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), "Wisdom Unapplied", first published 1850