Sonnet 73

Provider:Fr. Pierre Demer /談德義神父

That time of year thou mayst in me behold	1
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day	5
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self that seals up all in rest.
In me thou seest the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,	10
As the death-bed whereon it must expire,
Consumed with that which it was nourished by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

Line / No.	Word or Phrase	Annotation
1	That time of year	一年之秋。秋之降臨，為大地帶來一片蕭條的景象，這正和人的垂暮老態相彷彿。[back]
4	Bare ruined choirs	choirs為大教堂內聖歌隊獻唱的地方，如今已是斷牆破垣。
	late	lately不久前。
	sweet birds sang	小鳥的歌聲象徵青春的歡樂。此處小鳥也可代表詩人的謳歌。[back]
5	twilight of such day	一日之薄暮。接踵而來的便是漆黑一片的死亡世界。[back]
8	Death's second self	指黑夜，乃死亡的第二化身。我們常把一日的時辰與人生相比擬，黎象徵初生，清晨象徵童年，…黑夜則象徵死亡。[back]
9	the glowing of such fire	烈火的餘燼。[back]
12	Consumed	毀滅。[back]