派殼般的承諾（Promises Like Pie-Crust）

迷上英國詩人 Rossetti，是在讀過徐志摩翻譯她的作品「歌」之後，而最喜歡的一首，卻是在不經意間巧遇的「派殼般的承諾」．多年以前嘗試翻譯後，竟將原文遺失；翻閱手上有的詩集與敝社區小小圖書館裏的藏書仍不得尋．感謝網際網路的便達，資訊可以在彈指之間獲得──

派殼般的承諾

不要給我任何的應允
所以我　也將不承諾
保有我們最初的自由
不需是真　也不是錯
讓未擲出的骰子暫留
無束的來　無拘的走
如我不能了解你一般
對我　你又知道什麼

溫暖的你　也許曾經
對待另一個人更溫暖
冷漠如我　也曾見過
陽光　感受白日的璀璨
誰能告訴我　這些曾經
祇存在如古老的昨日
如茵的草影漸漸消逝
而未來之遙不可盡示

你將爲失去的自由
悲傷　如果曾經允諾
換作是我
必焦急的斬斷繩索
讓我們還是以前的朋友
情誼不減少　也不增多
超量的情感使人消鎔
樸實的友誼點滴長留

Promises Like Pie-Crust
by Christina Georgina Rossetti　(1830-1894)

Promise me no promises,
So will I not promise you:
Keep we both our liberties,
Never false and never true:
Let us hold the die uncast,
Free to come as free to go:
For I cannot know your past,
And of mine what can you know?

You, so warm, may once have been
Warmer towards another one:
I, so cold, may once have seen
Sunlight, once have felt the sun:
Who shall show us if it was
Thus indeed in time of old?
Fades the image from the glass,
And the fortune is not told.

If you promised, you might grieve
For lost liberty again:
If I promised, I believe
I should fret to break the chain.
Let us be the friends we were,
Nothing more but nothing less:
Many thrive on frugal fare
Who would perish of excess.