Selection of Wordsworth's sonnets

Selection of William Wordsworth's sonnets

Brook! whose society the Poet seeks by William Wordsworth

Brook! whose society the Poet seeks,

Intent his wasted spirits to renew;

And whom the curious Painter doth pursue

Through rocky passes, among flowery creeks,

And tracks thee dancing down thy water-breaks;

If wish were mine(i.e. If I wish) some type of thee to view,

Thee, and not thee thyself, I would not do

Like Grecian Artists, give thee human cheeks,

Channels for tears; no Naiad水泉女神 shouldst thou be,--

Have neither limbs, feet, feathers, joints nor hairs:

It seems the Eternal Soul is clothed in thee

With purer robes than those of flesh and blood,

And hath bestowed on thee a safer good;

Unwearied joy, and life without its cares.

A Parsonage In Oxfordshire by William Wordsworth

Where holy ground begins, unhallowed ends,

Is marked by no distinguishable line;

The turf unites, the pathways intertwine;

And, wheresoe'er the stealing footstep tends,

Garden, and that domain where kindred, friends,

And neighbours rest together, here confound

Their several features, mingled like the sound

Of many waters, or as evening blends

With shady night. Soft airs, from shrub and flower,

Waft(i.e. float easily) fragrant greetings to each silent grave;      

And while those lofty poplars gently wave

Their tops, between them comes and goes a sky

Bright as the glimpses of eternity,

To saints accorded in their mortal hour.

There Is a Little Unpretending Rill by William Wordsworth

There is a little unpretending Rill

Of limpid(i.e. clear and transparent; absolutely serene) water, humbler far than aught

That ever among Men or Naiads sought

Notice or name! — It quivers down the hill,

Furrowing its shallow way with dubious will;

Yet to my mind this scanty Stream is brought

Oftener than Ganges恆河 or the Nile; a thought

Of private recollection sweet and still!

Months perish with their moons; year treads on year;

But, faithful Emma(i.e. his sister Dorothy)! thou with me canst say

That, while ten thousand pleasures disappear,

And flies their memory fast almost as they;

The immortal Spirit of one happy day

Lingers beside that Rill, in vision clear.

A Volant Tribe Of Bards On Earth Are Found By William Wordsworth

A volant(i.e. flying, with wings extended) Tribe of Bards on earth are found,

Who, while the flattering Zephyrs(i.e. gentle breezes;西風之神) round them play,

On “coignes of vantage”(i.e. a good position for observation;制高點;有利位置) hang their nests of clay;

How quickly from that aery(i.e. aerial; elevated) hold unbound(i.e. fallen),

Dust for oblivion! To the solid ground

Of nature trusts the Mind that builds for aye(i.e. ever; always);

Convinced that there, there only, she can lay

Secure foundations. As the year runs round,

Apart she toils within the chosen ring;

While the stars shine, or while day’s purple eye

Is gently closing with the flowers of spring;

Where even the motion of an Angel’s wing

Would interrupt the intense tranquility

Of silent hills, and more than silent sky.

In Sight Of The Town Of Cockermouth By William Wordsworth

A point of life between my Parent’s dust,

And yours, my buried Little-ones(i.e. his children, Thomas and Catherine, who both died in 1812)! am I;

And to those graves looking habitually

In kindred quiet I repose my trust.

Death to the innocent is more than just,

And, to the sinner, mercifully bent;

So may I hope, if truly I repent

And meekly bear the ills which bear I must:

And You, my Offspring! that do still remain,

Yet may outstrip me in the appointed race,

If e’er, through fault of mine, in mutual pain

We breathed together for a moment’s space,

The wrong, by love provoked, let love arraign(i.e. call to account;提審),

And only love keep in your hearts a place.

Composed At The Same Time And On The Same Occasion By William Wordsworth

I dropped my pen; and listened to the Wind

That sang of trees uptorn and vessels tost(i.e. tossed)—

A midnight harmony; and wholly lost(i.e. unnoticed)

To the general sense of men by chains confined

Of business, care, or pleasure; or resigned

To timely sleep. Thought I, the impassioned strain,

Which, without aid of numbers(i.e. poetic metres), I sustain,

Like(i.e. similar) acceptation from the World will find(i.e. will find a similar fate).

Yet some with apprehensive(i.e. perceptive) ear shall drink

A dirge devoutly breathed o’er sorrows past;

And to the attendant伴隨的 promise will give heed—

The prophecy—like that of this wild blast,

Which, while it makes the heart with sadness shrink,

Tells also of bright calms that shall succeed(i.e. follow).