April is the cruellest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

Winter kept us warm, covering

Earth in forgetful snow, feeding

A little life with dried tubers.

Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee

With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,

And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,

And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.

————

四月，一个最残忍的月份，让

丁香从死了的土地里滋生开来，糅杂着

回忆和欲望，用春雨

撩动着阴暗处呆滞的根。

冬天温暖着我们，

大雪覆盖着，忘却了一切，

干涩的球茎零星点缀着丝丝生命。

夏天意外降临，走在一阵骤雨中

我们来到了斯坦伯格西；

躲在廊下，雨歇后，

继续沐浴在阳光下，走到了郝夫加登，

喝着咖啡，闲谈了一个钟头。

———T.S.艾略特