Last Post by Carol Ann Duffy. Satie - Gymnopedie No.3 (excerpt).

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
曾幾夢迴，在我迷惘的眼前
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
他投入我懷中，淌淚，哽咽，窒息
If poetry could tell it backwards, true, begin
倘若詩可逆時光之流道來，那就
that moment shrapnel scythed you to the stinking mud ...
從彈片割你血肉、你跌入泥濘中的那刻開始吧
but you get up, amazed, watch bled bad blood
但你站了起來，吃驚地看著鮮血流淌
run upwards from the slime into its wounds;
淌過爛泥，又侵入傷口
see lines and lines of British boys rewind
你看著一排排的英國弟兄
back to their trenches, kiss the photographs from home -
撤回陣地，親吻家中寄來的相片
mothers, sweethearts, sisters, younger brothers
多少母親，愛人，姐妹，兄弟
not entering the story now
故事的畫面裡沒有他們
to die and die and die.
只有死亡，死亡，死亡...
Dulce - No - Decorum - No - Pro patria mori.
為國犧牲，榮耀？ --不；體面？ --不
You walk away.
你離開了
You walk away; drop your gun (fixed bayonet)
你離開了，放下了手中的槍（固定著刺刀）
like all your mates do too -
就像你的那些兄弟們一樣--
Harry, Tommy, Wilfred, Edward, Bert -
哈利，湯姆，威爾弗雷德，愛德華，伯特--
and light a cigarette.
你點了一根煙
There's coffee in the square,
街區裡有咖啡
warm French bread
溫熱的法式麵包
and all those thousands dead
還有那成千上萬的死者
are shaking dried mud from their hair
甩掉頭髮上早已乾了的泥土
and queuing up for home . Freshly alive,
排著隊等待回鄉。多麼鮮活啊
a lad plays Tipperary to the crowd, released
一位小伙在人群中演奏蒂珀雷裡歌謠，他解放了
from History; the glistening, healthy horses fit for heroes, kings.
從歷史脫身；健碩的馬匹配上英雄們，國王們
You lean against a wall,
你靠著牆
your several million lives still possible
你那百萬條生命還仍存希望
and crammed with love, work, children, talent, English beer, good food.
他們身後滿是愛，工作，孩子，才華，英式啤酒，美食
You see the poet tuck away his pocket-book and smile.
你看著詩人藏起了他的袖珍書，微微一笑
If poetry could truly tell it backwards,
倘若詩真能逆時光之流道來
then it would.
那它一定會的