颂诗译选
升轮
当上帝造人之初，
有一只福杯在祂旁边；
祂说：让我们尽量的倾注给他；
让世界的丰盛散布周边，
成为两间的系连。
这样，祂赐下能力；
随后是美，又加才智，荣耀，欢喜。
当几乎要倾尽时，上帝稍事停息，
看到祂唯一的至宝
余存，安息在杯底。
祂说，如果我连
这珍宝也赐给我所造的，
他就会舍我而崇拜恩赐，
安息於自然，而非自然的主宰，
这样，二者将同归丧失。
让他得着其余的，
得着那些，也怨叹而无安息；
使他富而不足，且有困疲，至少
如果仁慈不能引他，困疲
会举起他到我怀里。
（升轮：或名滑车，吊桿；余存，安息，均为rest。）
The Pulley
When God at first made man,
Having a glass of blessings standing by,
“Let us” (said he) “pour on him all we can:
Let the world’s riches, which dispersed lie,
Contract into a span.”
So strength first made a way;
Then beauty flow’d, then wisdom, honour, pleasure:
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that alone of all his treasure
Rest in the bottom lay.
“For if I should” (said he)
“Bestow this jewel also on my creature,
He would adore my gifts instead of me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature:
So both should losers be.”
“Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness;
Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to my breast.”
George Herbert, 1593-1633
English religious poet
