A Broken Appointment

by Thomas Hardy

You did not come,

And marching Time drew on, and wore me numb.

Yet less for loss of your dear presence there

Than that I thus found lacking in your make

That high compassion which can overbear

Reluctance for pure lovingkindness‘ sake

Grieved I, when, as the hope-hour stroked its sum，

You did not come.

You love me not.

And love alone can lend you loyalty:

——I know and knew it. But, unto the store

Of human deeds divine in all but name，

Was it not worth a little hour or more

To add yet this: Once you, a woman, came

To soothe a time-torn man; even though it be

You love me not.

一次失约

托马斯·哈代

你没有来，

而时光却沙沙地流去，使我发呆。

倒不是惋惜失掉了相见的甜蜜，

是因为我由此看出你的天性，

缺乏那种最高的怜悯——尽管不乐意，

出于纯粹的仁慈也能成全别人，

当指盼的钟点敲过，你没有来，

我感到悲哀。

你并不爱我，

而只有爱情才能使你忠诚于我；

——我明白，早就明白。但费一两小时，

使除名义外全然圣洁的人类行为，

又为何不增添一件好事：

你，作为一个女人，曾一度抚慰，

一个为时光折磨的男人，即便说，

你并不爱我。