ALL SOULS

      THEY are chanting now the service of All the Dead

     And the village folk outside in the burying ground

     Listen—except those who strive with their dead,

     Reaching out in anguish¹, yet unable quite to

         touch them:

     Those villagers isolated² at the grave

     Where the candles burn in the daylight, and the

         painted wreaths

     Are propped³ on end, there, where the mystery

         starts.

 

     The naked candles burn on every grave.

     On your grave, in England, the weeds grow.

 

     But I am your naked candle burning,

     And that is not your grave, in England,

     The world is your grave.

     And my naked body standing⁴ on your grave

     Upright towards heaven is burning off to you

     Its flame of life, now and always, till the end.

 

     It is my offering to you; every day is All Souls'

         Day.

 

     I forget you, have forgotten you.

     I am busy only at my burning,

     I am busy only at my life.

     But my feet are on your grave, planted.

     And when I lift my face, it is a flame that goes up

     To the other world, where you are now.

     But I am not concerned with you.

         I have forgotten you.

 

     I am a naked candle burning on your grave.

1 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

2 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。

3 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。