FIREFLIES IN THE CORN

    She speaks.

     Look at the little darlings in the corn!

        The rye is taller than you, who think yourself

     So high and mighty¹: look how the heads are

          borne

     Dark and proud on the sky, like a number of

          knights²

     Passing with spears and pennants⁴ and manly⁵ scorn.

 

     Knights indeed!—much knight³ I know will ride

        With his head held high-serene against the sky!

     Limping and following rather at my side

        Moaning for me to love him!—Oh darling rye

     How I adore you for your simple pride!

 

     And the dear, dear fireflies wafting⁶ in between

        And over the swaying corn-stalks, just above

     All the dark-feathered helmets, like little green

        Stars come low and wandering here for love

     Of these dark knights, shedding their delicate

          sheen!

 

     I thank you I do, you happy creatures, you dears

        Riding the air, and carrying all the time

     Your little lanterns behind you! Ah, it cheers

        My soul to see you settling and trying to

          climb

     The corn-stalks, tipping with fire the spears.

 

     All over the dim corn's motion, against the blue

        Dark sky of night, a wandering glitter, a

          swarm⁷

     Of questing brilliant souls going out with their

          true

        Proud knights to battle! Sweet, how I warm

     My poor, my perished soul with the sight of

          you!

     A DOE AT EVENING

 

     As I went through the marshes⁸

     a doe sprang out of the corn

     and flashed up the hill-side

     leaving her fawn⁹.

 

     On the sky-line

     she moved round to watch,

     she pricked¹⁰ a fine black blotch¹¹

     on the sky.

 

     I looked at her

     and felt her watching;

     I became a strange being.

     Still, I had my right to be there with her,

 

     Her nimble shadow trotting¹²

     along the sky-line, she

     put back her fine, level-balanced head.

     And I knew her.

 

     Ah yes, being male, is not my head hard-balanced,

         antlered?

     Are not my haunches light?

     Has she not fled on the same wind with me?

     Does not my fear cover her fear?

 

      IRSCHENHAUSEN

SONG OF A MAN WHO IS

     NOT LOVED

 

     THE space of the world is immense, before me and

        around me;

     If I turn quickly, I am terrified, feeling space

        surround me;

     Like a man in a boat on very clear, deep water,

        space frightens and confounds me.

 

     I see myself isolated¹³ in the universe, and wonder

     What effect I can have. My hands wave under

     The heavens like specks¹⁴ of dust that are floating

        asunder¹⁵.

 

     I hold myself up, and feel a big wind blowing

     Me like a gadfly into the dusk, without my know-

        ing

     Whither or why or even how I am going.

 

     So much there is outside me, so infinitely¹⁶

     Small am I, what matter if minutely

     I beat my way, to be lost immediately?

 

     How shall I flatter myself that I can do

     Anything in such immensity? I am too

     Little to count in the wind that drifts me through.

 

      GLASHÜTTE

 

1 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

2 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

3 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

4 pennants   

n.校旗( pennant的名词复数 )；锦标旗；长三角旗；信号旗

参考例句：

• Their manes streamed like stiff black pennants in the wind. 它们的鬃毛直立起来，在风中就像一面面硬硬的黑色三角旗。 来自互联网
• Bud ashtrays, bar towels, coasters, football pennants, and similar items were offered for sale. 同时它还制作烟灰缸、酒吧餐巾、杯垫子、杯托子、足球赛用的三角旗以及诸如此类的物品用于销售。 来自互联网

5 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

6 wafting   

v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• But that gentle fragrance was clearly wafting from the window. 但那股淡淡的香气，却分明是从母亲的窗户溢出的。 来自互联网
• The picture-like XueGuo, wafting dense flavor of Japan, gives us a kind of artistic enjoyment. 画一般的雪国，飘溢着浓郁的日本风情，给人以美的享受。 来自互联网

7 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

8 marshes   

n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。
• We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 fawn   

n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承

参考例句：

• A fawn behind the tree looked at us curiously.树后面一只小鹿好奇地看着我们。
• He said you fawn on the manager in order to get a promotion.他说你为了获得提拔，拍经理的马屁。

10 pricked   

刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛

参考例句：

• The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
• He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。

11 blotch   

n.大斑点；红斑点；v.使沾上污渍，弄脏

参考例句：

• He pointed to a dark blotch upon the starry sky some miles astern of us.他指着我们身后几英里处繁星点点的天空中的一朵乌云。
• His face was covered in ugly red blotches.他脸上有许多难看的红色大斑点。

12 trotting   

小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• The riders came trotting down the lane. 这骑手骑着马在小路上慢跑。
• Alan took the reins and the small horse started trotting. 艾伦抓住缰绳，小马开始慢跑起来。

13 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

14 specks   

n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Minutes later Brown spotted two specks in the ocean. 几分钟后布朗发现海洋中有两个小点。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
• Do you ever seem to see specks in front of your eyes? 你眼睛前面曾似乎看见过小点吗？ 来自辞典例句

15 asunder   

adj.分离的，化为碎片

参考例句：

• The curtains had been drawn asunder.窗帘被拉向两边。
• Your conscience,conviction,integrity,and loyalties were torn asunder.你的良心、信念、正直和忠诚都被扯得粉碎了。

16 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
• The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。