喬安納的房間

鏡頭由遠而近，一對男女站在湖邊，樹林茂密、黃色落葉繽紛，跛腳老兔子一跛跛跳下山坡（真的有兔子阿！在第16行）男的說：「我們在這樣下去也不是辦法。」女：「那你要怎麼樣嘛～」

這對熱情不再的情侶，心情都不太好。他們的第一個吻已經是太久之前的事了，而心也隨著老去(line 10)。詩名ephemera（極短暫存在之物）可以指愛情、或者愛情中的激情。

當女方還淚眼汪汪，不敢相信熱情就這樣消失時；男主角已經看開了，他安慰道：「別難過嘛，舊的不去新的不來（for other loves await us），只要我們愛過也恨得無怨無悔（Hate on and love through unrepining hours）。

這就是人生阿…所以，我們分手吧！」

這段話當作分手的安慰，感覺實在不怎麼有說服力。男生應該還是會常常接到女生的電話、MSN訊息，不斷被質問：「你一定是愛上別的女生了吧？！」

不管問幾次都沒用的，當一個男人開口說要分開，妳以為只要他沒跟別人在一起就一定有轉圜的餘地。但事實是，他可以開口說第一次分手，就一定會開口說第二次。喏，聽到了沒？

Ephemera

by William Butler Yeats

“Your eyes that once were never weary of mine

Are bowed in sotrow under pendulous lids,

Because our love is waning.”

And then she:

“Although our love is waning, let us stand

By the lone border of the lake once more,

Together in that hour of gentleness

When the poor tired child, passion, falls asleep.

How far away the stars seem, and how far

Is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart!”

Pensive they paced along the faded leaves,

While slowly he whose hand held hers replied:

“Passion has often worn our wandering hearts.”

The woods were round them, and the yellow leaves

Fell like faint meteors in the gloom, and once

A rabbit old and lame limped down the path;

Autumn was over him: and now they stood

On the lone border of the lake once more:

Turning, he saw that she had thrust dead leaves

Gathered in silence, dewy as her eyes,

In bosom and hair.

“Ah, do not mourn,” he said,

“That we are tired, for other loves await us;

Hate on and love through unrepining hours.

Before us lies eternity; our souls

Are love, and a continual farewell.”

【喬安納說】

這首詩收錄在楊牧編譯的《葉慈詩選》中。文章中的翻譯是我隨意翻的。