The Grey Monk

I die I die the Mother said
“我明白，我明白，”母親說，
My Children die for lack of Bread
“我的孩子因缺少麵包而亡。
What more has the merciless Tyrant said
那無情的暴君還說了些什麼？”
The Monk sat down on the Stony Bed
那修士坐到她的石床之上。

The blood red ran from the Grey Monks side
鮮血自灰修士的身側湧出；
His hands & feet were wounded wide
他的手腳受創極深，
His Body bent his arms & knees
他的身體佝僂，臂膀與膝彎
Like to the roots of ancient trees
有如古樹的盤根。

His eye was dry no tear could flow
他的眼枯乾，無淚可流；
A hollow groan first spoke his woe
一聲空吟先道盡他的悲苦。
He trembled & shudderd upon the Bed
他在那床上顫抖與戰栗；
At length with a feeble cry he said
最終微嘆一聲他開口傾訴：

When God commanded this hand to write
——當上帝命這隻手去書寫
In the studious hours of deep midnight
在幽深午夜那些勤勉的鐘點，
He told me the writing I wrote should prove
祂對我說我寫的一切都須證明
The Bane of all that on Earth I lovd
世上我愛的一切毀滅的根源。

My Brother starvd between two Walls
我的兄弟在兩堵牆間受餓，
His Childrens Cry my Soul appalls
他兒女的慟哭讓我的靈魂驚懼；
I mockd at the wrack & griding chain
我嘲弄過刑架與刮骨的鎖鏈，
My bent body mocks their torturing pain
我佝僂的身體嘲弄它們殘虐的痛楚。

Thy Father drew his sword in the North
你的父親曾在北方拔劍
With his thousands strong he marched forth
率領萬千勇者他邁步向前；
Thy Brother has armd himself in Steel
你的兄弟曾披上鋼鐵的甲胄
To avenge the wrongs thy Children feel
為孩子遭受的不義復仇。

But vain the Sword & vain the Bow
然而劍是徒然弓也是徒然，
They never can work Wars overthrow
它們永遠無法將戰爭傾翻。
The Hermits Prayer & the Widows tear
隱士的祈禱和寡婦的眼淚
Alone can free the World from fear
獨可解救世界於恐怖之圍。

For a Tearis an Intellectual Thing
為一滴眼淚是一枚智慧的物件，
And a Sigh is the Sword of an Angel King
而一聲嘆息是一個天使王的利劍，
And the bitter groan of the Martyrs woe
那淒厲的呻吟飽含烈士的苦痛
Is an Arrow from the Almighties Bow
是一支飛箭來自全能的長弓。

The hand of Vengeance found the Bed
報復之手已直搗那床台
To which the Purple Tyrant fled
紫衣暴君逃去的所在；
The iron hand crushd the Tyrants head
鐵手將暴君之頭碾為齏粉
And became a Tyrant in his stead
卻化作一個取而代之的暴君。