有哪些有愛情故事背景的英語詩歌？

類似Yeats的When You Are Old那樣，背後蘊含著一段愛情故事，或凄美或圓滿的那種英文詩歌。

---

謝邀。勃朗寧夫婦的故事。

勃朗寧夫人的十四行詩基本都是以兩人的愛情為靈感寫就的情詩，有聲書傳送門：LibriVox

Elizabeth Browning 十五歲時墜馬落下了下肢癱瘓，39歲才遇到丈夫Robert Browning，兩人的才華和脾氣相投，衝破了勃朗寧夫人父親的反對，私奔去義大利結婚，度過了15年幸福的婚姻。愛情和詩見證了勃朗寧夫人奇蹟般的康復。

她的情詩集一般收錄為44首十四行詩，稱為《葡萄牙人十四行詩》（Sonnets from the Portuguese）。葡萄牙人十四行詩跟葡萄牙沒什麼關係。一說是為了匿名，實則是給勃朗寧先生寫的情詩，佯裝是葡萄牙詩歌翻譯過來的。第二種說法是，根據勃朗寧夫人「Catarina to Camoens」這首詩推測，「my little Portuguese」可能是勃朗寧給夫人取得愛稱。

勃朗寧夫人有四首《葡萄牙人十四行詩》是各大英國文學教材的必修：第21,22,32,43首。主要探討的對愛情的理解。勃朗寧夫人筆下的愛情是充滿熱情、勇於表達(Sonnet 21)的，是純潔的靈魂、是夫婦間的精神支撐(Sonnet 22)。愛情是二人不斷成長完善的力量(Sonnet 32)，是Philosophical、是immotality、是必將面臨死亡卻不懼死亡的不死力量(Sonnet 43)。

(21)

請說了一遍，再向我說一遍，

Say over again, and yet once over again,

　說「我愛你！」即使那樣一遍遍重複，

That thou dost love me. Though the word repeated

　你會把它看成一支「布谷鳥的歌曲」；

Should seem `a cuckoo-song," as thou dost treat it.

可是記著，在那青山和綠林間，

Remember, never to the hill or plain,

那山谷和田野中，縱使清新的春天

Valley and wood, without her cuckoo-strain

　披著全身綠裝降臨、也不算完美無缺，

Comes the fresh Spring in all her green completed.

　要是她缺少了那串布谷鳥的音節。

Beloved, I, amid the darkness greeted

愛，四周那麼黑暗，耳邊只聽見

By a doubtful spirit-voice, in that doubt"s pain

驚悸的心聲，處於那痛苦的不安中，

Cry, ... `Speak once more ... thou lovest!" Who can fear

　我嚷道：「再說一遍：我愛你！」誰嫌

Too many stars, though each in heaven shall roll, --

太多的星，即使每顆都在太空轉動；

Too many flowers, though each shall crown the year?

　太多的花，即使每朵洋溢著春意？

Say thou dost love me, love me, love me -- toll

說你愛我，你愛我，一聲聲敲著銀鍾！

The silver iterance! -- only minding, Dear,

　只是記住，還得用靈魂愛我，在默默里。

To love me also in silence with thy soul.

（22）

當我倆的靈魂壯麗地挺立起來，

When our two souls stan up erect and strong,

默默地，面對著面，越來越靠攏，

Face to face, silent, drawing nigh and nigher,

那伸張的翅膀在各自彎圓的頂端，

Util the lengthening wings break into fire

迸出了火星。世上還有什麼苦惱，

At each curved point, -- what bitter wrong

落到我們頭上，而叫我們不甘心

Can the earth do to us, that we should not long

在這裡長留？你說哪。再往上，就有

Be here contented? Think. In mounting higher,

天使抵在頭上，為我們那一片

The angels would press on us and aspire

深沉、親密的靜默落下成串

To drop some golden orb of perfect song

金黃和諧的歌曲。親愛的，讓我倆

Into our deep, dear silence. Let us stay

就相守在地上吧－－人世的爭吵、熙攮

Rather on earth, Beloved, -- where the unfit

都向後退隱，留給純潔的靈魂

Contrarious moods of men recoil away

一方隔絕，容許在這裡面立足，

And isolate pure spirits, and permit

在這裡愛，愛上一天，儘管昏黑的

A place to stand and love in for a day,

死亡，不停地在它的四圍打轉。

With darkness and the death-hour rounding it.

(32)

當金黃的太陽升起來，第一次照上

The first time that the sun rose on thine oath

　你愛的盟約，我就預期著明月

To love me, I looked forward to the moon

　來解除那情結、系的太早太急。

To slacken all those bonds which seemed too soon

我只怕愛的容易、就容易失望，

And quickly tied to make a lasting troath.

引起悔心。再回顧我自己，我哪象

Quick-loving hearts, I thought, may quickly loathe;

　讓你愛慕的人！－－卻象一具啞澀

And, looking on myself, I seemed not one

　破損的弦琴、配不上你那麼清澈

For such man"s love! -- more like an out-of-tune

美妙的歌聲！而這琴，匆忙裡給用上，

Worn voil, a good singer would be wroth

一發出沙沙的音，就給惱恨地

To spoil his song with, and which, snatched in haste,

　扔下。我這麼說，並不曾虧待

Is laid down at the first ill-sounding note.

自己，可是我冤了你。在樂聖的

I did not wrong myself so, but I placed

　手裡，一張破琴也可以流出完美

A wrong on _thee_. For perfect strains may float

和諧的韻律；而憑一張弓，真誠的

"Neath master-hands, from instruments defaced, --

　靈魂，可以在勒索、也同時在溺愛。

And great souls, at one stroke, may do and dote.

（43）

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day"s

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood"s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, -- I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! -- and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

伍爾夫有一段比較有名的評價：

「Elizabeth Barrett was inspired by a flash of true genius when she rushed into the drawing room and said that here, where we live and work, is the true place for the poet.」 「a sense of life in general, of people who are unmistakably Victorian, wrestling with the problems of their own time, all brightened, intensified and compacted by the fire of poetry…Aurora Leigh, with her passionate interest in social questions, her conflict as artist and woman, her longing for knowledge and freedom, is the true daughter of her age.」

————————————————————

由於種種原因，勃朗寧夫人的知名度和文學評價略高於勃朗寧。

如果有興趣的話可以看看勃朗寧和勃朗寧夫人兩人的詩和信件，對比一下兩人的語言匹配度(Language Style Matching)，可以發現二人熱戀和新婚期間許多虛詞使用的匹配度最高哦。

---

The Flea. By John Donne.

Mark but this flea,and mark in this,

How little that which thou deniest me is,

It sucks me first and now sucks thee,

And in this flea our two bloods mingles be;

Thou know"st that this cannot be said.

A sin,nor shame,nor loss of maidenhead

Yet this enjoys before it woo,

And pampered swells with one blood made of two,

And this,alas,is more than we would do.

Oh stay,there lives in one flea spare,

Where we almost any more than married one.

Our marriage bed,and marriage temple is,

Though parents grudge,and you,we"are met,

And cloistered in these living walls of jet.

Though use make you apt to kill me,

Let not to that,self-murder added be,

And sacrilege,three sins in killing three.

Curl and sudden,has thou since.

Purpled thy nail,in blood of innocence?

Wherein could this flea guilty be,

Except in that drop which it sucked from thee?

Find"st not thy self,nor me the weaker now,

Just so much honor,when thou yield"st to me,

Will waste,as this flea"s death took life from thee.

---

Last Sonnet (Bright Star)

by John Keats

Bright Star, would I were steadfast as thou art--

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night,

And watching, with eternal lids apart,

Like Nature"s patient sleepless Eremite,

The moving waters at their priest-like task

Of pure ablution round earths human shores,

Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask

Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--

No--yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,

Pillow"d upon my fair love"s ripe ning breast,

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,

Awake for ever in a s weet unrest,

Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,

And so live ever--or else swoon to death.

最後的詞句 （明亮的星）

--約翰?濟慈

明亮的星！我願和你一樣堅定不移，

但也許比不上你的長夜獨明，孤懸中天，

像一名大自然的堅忍不眠的隱士，

睜著一雙永遠不閉的眼帘，

瞭望那潮起潮落，盡著牧師的職責，

用聖水給世人居住的海岸沐浴；

或瞭望那輕輕飄飛的初雪，

給山峰和原野罩上一副面具；

可是，我不願！我要堅定不移，

枕著我的愛人，永遠感到她的溫暖，

永遠在甜蜜的動蕩中保持清醒，

永遠聽她溫柔的呼吸的聲音，

就這樣永生，或者就這樣死去。

詩人濟慈因病沒能和未婚妻芬妮幸福終老，濟慈死後芬妮為他穿了好幾年黑衣，很久後才振作起來，乃至她結婚後還戴著當年濟慈給她的訂婚戒指。

這對小情侶也挺慘的，濟慈給芬妮寫的數十封情書語句都超美，最後還是沒能一起終老。

（抖森 本威士肖 缺爺都讀過這首詩，有音頻，有興趣的可以去找找！）

不是這個專業的……也不知道有沒有跑題，大家看看就好。(^_^)

好喜歡濟慈！他的詩真的是美美美啊。

---

But you didn"t.

Remember the day I borrowed your brand

new car and dented it?

I thought you"d kill me, but you didn"t.

And remember the time I dragged you to the beach,

and you said it would rain, and it did?

I thought you"d say, "I told you so." But you didn"t.

Do you remember the time I flirted with all

the guys to make you jealous, and you were?

I thought you"d leave, but you didn"t.

Do you remember the time I spilled strawberry pie

all over your car rug?

I thought you"d hit me, but you didn"t.

And remember the time I forgot to tell you the dance

was formal and you showed up in jeans?

I thought you"d drop me, but you didn"t.

Yes, there were lots of things you didn"t do.

But you put up with me, and loved me, and protected me.

There were lots of things I wanted to make up to you

when you returned from Vietnam.

But you didn"t.

譯文:

記得那一次

借過你的新車

而我卻撞凹了它

我以為你會殺了我

可是你沒有

記得那一次

我拖你去海灘

而你說天會下雨

果然下啦

我以為你會說

我告訴過你啦

可是你沒有

記得那一次

我向所有的男子挑逗

來引你嫉妒

我以為你會離開我

可是你沒有

記得那一次

我在你新刷的地毯上吐了滿地的草莓餅

我以為你會打我

可是你沒有

記得那一次

我忘記告訴你

那個舞會是穿禮服的

而你只穿牛仔褲到場

我以為你必然放棄我啦

可是你沒有

是的

有許多許多的事你全都沒有做

而你容忍我、鍾愛我、保護我

有許多許多的事

我要回報你

等你從越南回來

……

可是 你沒有

關於這首詩的出處：

一個普通的美國家庭，母女相依為命，女兒的父親在女兒4歲時應徵入伍去了越南，不幸陣亡。母親一直活到了80歲都沒有再嫁。母親去世後，女兒在整理母親的東西時，發現了一首母親親手寫的詩，題目就是《But you didn"t》。

---

La Figlia Che Piange (The Weeping Girl)

---T.S. Eliot

"O quam te memorem virgo"

STAND on the highest pavement of the stair --

Lean on a garden urn --

Weave, weave the sunlight in your hair --

Clasp your flowers to you with a pained suprise --

Fling them to the ground and turn

With a fugitive resentment in your eyes:

But weave, weave the sunlight in your hair.

So I would have had him leave,

So I would have had her stand and grieve,

So he would have left

As the soul leaves the body torn and bruised,

As the mind deserts the body it has used.

I should find

Some way incomparably light and deft,

Some way we both should understand,

Simple and faithless as a smile and a shake of the hand.

She turned away, but with the autumn weather

Compelled my imagination many days,

Many days and many hours:

Her hair over her arms and her arms full of flowers.

And I wonder how they should have been together!

I should have lost a gesture and a pose.

Sometimes these cogitations still amaze

The troubled midnight, and the noon"s repose.

譯文:

哦姑娘你叫什麼？

站在樓梯頂的平台上，

靠著花盆－－

織啊，在你的頭髮里編織陽光－－

痛苦而驚奇，你把花抓起

仍到地上，轉過身

眼中含著難以猜透的怒意，

但是織啊，在你的頭髮里編織陽光。

因此我但願他走開，

因此我但願她站著憂傷，

因此他但願自己不在

好象靈魂離開遍體鱗傷的肉體，

好象理智把用舊的肉體拋棄。

我得找到

一種方法，無比輕捷巧妙，

一種方法，我倆都能理解，

簡單，不確定，象握手，象微笑。

她轉身走了，但隨著這夏日天氣，

好多天，追逼我的想像，

好多天，好多時光：

她臂上披著頭髮，手裡抱著鮮花，

我真不明白他們怎能在一起！

怕是我丟失了一個姿態，一個手勢。

有時這些想法仍然能驚起

苦惱的午夜與安寧的正午。

---

《安娜貝爾·李》（Annabel Lee）愛倫坡 創作的最後一首詩，寫於1849年，全詩一共六節，是一首悼念早逝愛人的輓歌。詩中的安娜貝爾·李一直被人們認為是坡的妻子弗吉尼亞的寫照。1849年，作品在坡死後於10月9日發表在《紐約每日論壇報》（ New York Daily Tribune）上。

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of ANNABEL LEE;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

--------------------------------

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea;

But we loved with a love that was more than love —

I and my Annabel Lee;

With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

--------------------------------

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

--------------------------------

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went envying her and me —

Yes! — that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

--------------------------------

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we —

Of many far wiser than we —

And neither the angels in heaven above,

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

--------------------------------

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling — my darling — my life and my bride,

In her sepulchre there by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea.

安娜貝爾·李

在很多很多年以前，

在一個海邊的王國里，

那兒居住著一個少女，你也許知道，

她的名字叫安娜貝爾·麗；

這個女孩活著只是為了愛我，被我愛，

除此之外再也沒有其它目的。

--------------------------------

我是一個孩子她也是個孩子，

在這海邊的王國里；

可是我們深深愛著，愛得超過了愛情——

我和我的安娜貝爾·麗；

就連那在天堂最高處飛翔的六翼天使，

也對她和我的愛羨慕不已。

--------------------------------

這就是那事情的起因，從前，

在這海邊的王國里，

烏雲中突然吹來一陣狂風，凍僵了

我美麗的安娜貝爾·麗；

她那出身高貴的男親戚也來到，

憤怒地把她在我身邊奪去，

然後他把她關進了那墓穴，

在這海邊的王國里。

--------------------------------

那些天使，在天堂一點也不幸福，

他們在把她和我妒嫉——

是的！這就是那原因

（在這海邊的王國人所共知，）

就這樣,在那夜晚的雲朵中吹來了冷風，

把我的安娜貝爾·麗活活凍死。

--------------------------------

可是就算現在，我們的愛也要遠比

那些比我們年老的人，比我們聰明的人

所擁有的愛更有力——

那些天空上面的天使，

還有那些大海下面的魔鬼，

都不能分開我的和她的靈魂，

我和美麗的安娜貝爾·麗。

--------------------------------

只要月亮發光，我就能

夢見我美麗的安娜貝爾·麗；

就算繁星不再升起，她明亮的眼睛

也依然和我在一起；

就這樣，在整個的夜晚，我躺在

我親愛的，親愛的，一生的新娘身邊，

在那瘋狂咆哮的大海旁，

在她安寧睡著的墳墓里。

---

勃朗寧夫婦的十四行詩「Sonnets from the Portaguese」就是很典型的英語詩歌界一大佳話。下面是讀完他們兩故事的個人一點小感悟。

要有多幸運，才會遇見你

---據Elizabeth Robert Browning生平改編

我本是一具了無生氣的孤魂殘骸

拖著千斤重的軀殼苟延殘喘

獨自在這世間踽踽人海

絕望 陰冷 灰暗

是你 我的愛人

帶我逃離我那最難挨的日子

不知疲倦的安撫著

我的驚慌 我的疑慮 我的哀怨

我一切一切的膽怯和不安

千言萬語道不出我的感激

每每想起

不由得竊喜

要有多幸運 才會遇見你

我最親密的知己

最暖心最完美的愛人

不曾想不敢想

你給我的愛情

讓我有生之年還能再站起來

倘若有一天我先你而去

嘴角一定是上揚的

於我

遇見你之前

多過一天都是煎熬

遇見你之後

每多活一天都是上天最大的眷顧

拿什麼來回報你 我的愛人？

唯有一顆慕君之心

至死

方休

---2016.9.10

---

推薦閱讀：