歌词与中文翻译
Why did I laugh tonight?
今晚我为什么大笑
No voice will tell
没有声音会告诉你
No God, no Demon of severe response,
没有上帝，没有恶魔的严厉回应
Deigns to reply from Heaven
指示 从天堂
or from Hell.
或地狱回复
Then to my human heart I turn at once:
然后我立刻扪心自问：
Heart!
心呀！
Thou and I are here sad and alone;
你和我一样悲凉而又孤独；
I say, why did I laugh?
我说，我为什么大笑？
O mortal pain!
啊，致命的苦痛！
O Darkness!
啊，黑暗！
Darkness! ever must I moan,
黑暗！我要呜咽着，
To question Heaven and Hell and Heart in vain.
问遍上苍、冥府和我自己的心灵，纵然徒劳
我为什么大笑？
Why did I laugh?
我知道生存的租期，
I know this Being's lease,
我让幻想伸展到极乐的境界；
My fancy to its utmost blisses spreads;
但我也许在今夜停止呼吸，
Yet would I on this very midnight cease,
见到尘世的彩旗一片片碎裂；
And all the world's gaudy ensigns see in shreds;
诗，名，
Verse, Fame,
和美都是强烈的
and Beauty are intense indeed,
但死更强烈些
But Death intenser
—死是生命的最高酬劳。
-- Death is Life's high meed.