一、埃德蒙·斯宾塞
1558年伊丽莎白女王登基，这一时期英国著名的诗人是埃德蒙·斯宾塞 （Edmund Speser，1552年－1599年1月13日），他的长诗《仙后》（The Faerie Queen）。《仙后》所用的诗节形式被认为“斯宾塞诗节”（Spenserian stanza），这样的诗节适用于叙事长诗，为以后很多诗人袭用。被后人称之为“诗人的诗人”。1580年，斯宾塞去了爱尔兰，居住在女王赐给他的城堡里，在那里他的代表作《仙后》于1590~1596年出版。1598年他的房子在爱尔兰起义中被烧毁，他逃回伦敦，次年死在了那里，被埋在威斯敏斯特大教堂的“诗人角”，《仙后》是斯宾塞著名的长诗，现在我们来分享《仙后》的第一卷、第一章。讲述了红十字骑士动身踏上上离线征程。这里的骑士象征着英国国教圣公会，是象征真理和真正信仰的处女尤娜（Virgin Una）de的保护者。娇美的女士（A lovely Ladie）即是处女尤娜，奶白的羊羔是指耶稣基督。龙与凶残的恶魔都是撒旦的另一种说法。文中丛林暗喻危机四伏的地方。
                                         （一）
A Gentle Knight was prinking on the plaine,
   Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde,
    Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,
    The cruell markes of many a bloudy fielde;
    yet armes till that time did he never wield：
    His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
    As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:
    Full jolly knight he seemed,and faire did sitt,
As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.
一位高贵的武士策马扬鞭平川上，
身披甲胃，佩戴银盾，威风凛凛，
银盾上旧日凹痕斑斑犹存，
那是无数次残酷厮杀的烙印；
而武士至今未曾在挥戈：
骏马久藏愤怒欲脱缰，
似乎同样倨傲不逊：
骑士喜不自禁，正襟危坐，
欲两军阵前短兵相交手几回。

                              （二）
But on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore,
   The deare remembrence of his dying Lord,
    For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,
    And dead as living ever him adored:
    Upon his shield the like was also scored,
    For soveraine hope ,which in his help he had:
    Right faithfull true he was in deede and word,
    But of his cheere did seeme to solemne sad;
Yet nothing did he dread,but ever was ydrad.
他胸前佩戴着红十字徽章，
危了缅怀上帝，
危了上帝他佩戴上这光荣的勋章，
无谓生死顶礼膜拜，忠贞不渝：
银盾上同样携刻红十字，
以此希望得到上帝的帮助：
他言行一致，忠贞不二，
神情却过于庄重严肃；
他无所畏惧却曾让敌人望而生畏。

                             （三）
Upon a great adventure he was boud,
   That greatest Gloriana to him gave,
    That greatest glorous Queene og Faerie Lond,
    to winne him worship ,and her grace to have ,
    Which of all earthly things he most did crave;
    And ever as he rode,his hart did earne
    To prove his puissance in battell brave
    Upon his foe,and his new force to learne;
Upon his foe,a Dragon horrible and stearne.
他此去要身赴险境，
是受命于伟大的女王格劳瑞安那，
仙国最伟大最高贵的女王，
危了赢得容易和先王的恩宠，
这是人是中他最渴望得到的；
他越是策马前进，越是心中充满渴望
想证明他制服敌人的力量
在敌人身上一试身手；
他的敌人就是那恐怖可怕的恶龙。

                              （四）
A lovely Ladie rode him faire deside,
    Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow,
    Yet she much whiter,but the same did hide
    Under a vele, that wimpled was full low,
    And over all a blecke stole she did throw,
    As one that inly mournd:so was she sad,
    And heavie sat upon her palfrey slow:
    Semmed in heart some hidden care she  had,
And by her in a line a milke white lambe she lad.
身旁还有一位娇美的女士并驾齐驱，
她乘坐的小毛驴胜雪白，
而她更雪白纯洁，
同样纯洁的面庞藏在层层折叠的面纱下，
全身皮裹着黑色长袍，
好像心事重重，满腹心酸，
她心情沉重的坐在毛驴背上缓缓而行，
仿佛内心隐藏着无限的忧伤，
身旁还牵着一头乳白色的羔羊。

                                         （五）
So pure an innocent, as that same lamble,
    She was in life and every vertuous lore,
    And by descent from Royall Lynage came
    Of ancient Kings and Queenes,that had of yore
    Their scepters stretcht from East to Western shore,
     And all the world in their subjection held;
     Till that infernall feend with foule uprore
     Forwasted all their land and them expeld:
Whom to avenge,she had this Knight from far compeld
她纯洁无邪，如同身边那头羔羊，
她秉承美德遵从教导，
继承了王室血统，
皇室家族源远流长，
统领世界，
号令天下，
有一个凶残的恶魔残酷暴乱，
颠覆国家，驱除王族，
她千里迢迢召回武士只为驱魔除怪。

                                               (六)
Behind her farre away a Dwarfe did lag,
    That lasie seemed in being ever last,
     Or wearied with bearing of her bag
     Of needments at his backe .Thus as they past,
     The day with cloudes was suddeine overcast,
     And angry Jove and hideous storme of raine
     Did poure into his Lemans lap ao fast,
     That every wight to shrowed if did constrain,
And this faire couple eke to should themself were fain.
她身后远远地有一个侏儒，
懒懒地落在最后，
或许是不堪重负，
背上的行裹里装着的是那女人的行头。
征途上突然阴云密布，
愤怒的朱庇特换来了暴雨倾盆
瞬间满溢大地，
行路人见此景纷纷避雨，
这而为也欣然躲避。

                                                   （七）
Enforst to seeke some covert night at hand,
   A shadie grove not for away they spade,
    That promist ayde the tempest to withstand:
   Whose loftie trees yclad with sommers pride,
   Did spred so broad,that heavens light did hide,
   Not perceable with power of any starre:
   And all within were pathes and alleies wide,
    With footing worne ,and leading inward farre:
Faire harbour that them seemes ；so in they entred arre.
此二人到附近找地躲避，
见不远处有丛林阴翳，
足以遮风挡雨：
参天大树浓迷茂盛，
枝繁叶茂遮天蔽日，
繁星闪烁也无力穿透：
林间道路从横，
路面平坦遥遥通向远方：
恍若避风良港，二人快步走入。