William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.
Thanatopsis （meditation on death）
To him who in the love of Nature holds
热爱自然的人与世间万象
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks
有着心神的交流，对他
A various language; for his gayer hours
她可说各种各样的语言
She has a voice of gladness, and a smile
他高兴的时候，她声音喜悦
And eloquence of beauty, and she glides
生命的列车eloquence ：smooth and lovely speech
微笑里透着高贵的美丽
Into his darker musings, with a mild
她潜入他隐秘的思索，带着
And healing sympathy, that steals away
温柔和抚慰的关切，未及他明白
Their sharpness, ere he is aware. When thoughts
她就将痛苦带走，
Of the last bitter hour come like a blight
当最后思想如灾难降
Over thy spirit, and sad images
临你的精神
Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall,
悲痛的哀影，寿衣，棺罩
And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,
令人窒息的黑暗，以及促狭的房屋
Make thee to shudder and grow sick at heart;--
使你瑟瑟发抖，并心生憎恨——
Go forth, under the open sky, and list
去开阔的田野吧，去听听
To Nature's teachings, while from all around—
自然的教诲，听听那从四野里——
Earth and her waters, and the depths of air—
大地、河川和新鲜的空气中——
Comes a still voice--Yet a few days, and thee
传来的静谧而寂寥的声音——
The all-beholding sun shall see no more
然而几天后，普照大地的太阳
In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground,
在它的行程里，也不见你的踪影；也不在冰冷的大地
Where thy pale form was laid with many tears,
你含泪苍白的形体停放之处
Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist
也不在大海的怀抱存你的形象
Thy image. Earth, that nourish'd thee, shall claim
养育了你的大地要将你召回
Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again,
复归为尘土，
And, lost each human trace, surrendering up
消除人的痕迹
Thine individual being, shalt thou go
你的个体将臣服于此，你将
To mix for ever with the elements,
永远与自然之中的万物共处
To be a brother to the insensible rock,
去做无情的草木和磐石的兄弟
And to the sluggish hard clod, which the rude swain乡村青年
掩藏在坚硬的泥土下，任由
Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak
那粗野的情郎翻犁和践踏
Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mould.
 橡树伸展的根须将刺穿你的躯体。
Yet not to thine eternal resting-place
不过，在你永恒的栖所
Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish
你并不会独处，你也不能企望
Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down
更多的奢华。你将与幼稚世界的
With patriarchs of the infant world--with kings,
尊者们并卧，——有国王，
The powerful of the earth--the wise, the good,
地上的强者，——有智者、善者
Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past,
仁者，以及远古时代的先知，
All in one mighty sepulchre. The hills
在同一个墓室里。山峦
Rock-ribb'd abounding in rocky cliffs or scarps崎岖陡峭 and ancient as the sun,--the vales
如太阳一样固执且陈旧，河谷
Stretching in pensive persistently thoughtful quietness between;
平静的沉思在原始的树林间
The venerable woods; rivers that move