Hope is the thing with feathers
希望是长着羽毛的东西
Emily Dickinson · 艾米莉·狄金森
"Hope" is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I've heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of Me.
希望是长着羽毛的东西——
栖息在灵魂里——
唱着没有词的曲调——
一刻也不停息——
风暴中最是甜美——
那风暴一定极其凶猛，
才能惊扰这只小鸟，
它为那么多人带来温暖——
我在最寒冷的地方听过它——
在最陌生的海上——
然而，即使在绝境中，
它也从不向我索取一片面包屑。
狄金森把希望写成一只栖息在灵魂里的小鸟——不索取，只歌唱，在最冷的地方最响亮。