lookout 译
苍白冬夜，我独立在雪中颤抖，
诧异的是突然的火热，让我的心放出光芒；
我抬起惊恐的眼，看看怎样的火在近旁，
确实有一个漂亮的婴儿，出现在空中，他浑身燃烧着光亮；
他，被过度的热能炙烤，流淌出洪水般眼泪
仿佛，他的泪洪快要浇灭，那和眼泪一起流出的火焰。
“哎呀！”他说，“但是，重生于熊熊烈火，我深受煎熬，
还没有人，找到温暖他们心灵或者感受我的火热的道路，除了我！
我无瑕的胸膛就是熔炉，伤人的荆棘是燃料，
爱是火，叹息是烟，羞耻和蔑视都是灰烬；
燃料凭正义安放，而怜悯吹旺碳火，
熔炉中锻造的金属是人类染污了的灵魂，
为了他们，现在的我在火中，为他们的好而辛劳，
我将熔化于池底，让他们在我的血里洗尽铅华。”
说完，他便消失于视野，突然间收缩不见，
我直接想起来，今天是圣诞夜。
The Burning Babe
Robert Southwell （1561-1595）
As I in hoary winter’s night stood shivering in the snow,
Surprised I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near,
A pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear;
Who, scorched with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed
As though his floods should quench his flames which with his tears were fed.
“Alas!” quoth he, “but newly born in fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I!
My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns,
Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel justice layeth on, and mercy blows the coals,
The metal in this furnace wrought are men’s defiled souls,
For which, as now on fire I am to work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood.”
With this he vanish’d out of sight and swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmas day.
