说起Thomas Bracken可能很多人不知道，但是说起新西兰国歌“ God Defend New Zealand” 新西兰人人都知道、都会唱。这首国歌的歌词就是新西兰诗人Thomas Bracken 写的。
Thomas Bracken 1843年12月21日出生于爱尔兰，1869年移民到但尼丁，1898年2月在贫困中去世。
Thomas Bracken 这首Not Understood 写于1879年。 桃源诗社的钟添明将之翻译成中文。
不明白
作者：Thomas Bracken
翻译：锺小明
还没有明白
我们就迈开了脚步
分崩离析
光阴悄悄地飞走
道路却越走越宽
经年的挣扎
充满惊喜和好奇
为何生活就是生活？
我们昏昏欲睡
浑然不知
还没有明白
我们就有许多错误的先入之见
甚至随着时间的推移爱之有加
直至美德也偶尔成为一种过犯
于是人类在跌跌荡荡中
或生或死
而我们依然是一头雾水
还没有明白
可怜的灵魂带着有缺陷的想象
常常以小人之心度君子之腹
有毒的虚假之轴和冷嘲热讽
常常激动着年轮的主人
我们一片迷茫
不明白
秘密的行动之泉常被忽视
它们隐藏在地表或表象之下
而我们则常常自鸣得意
凭着主观去判断邻居
使得他们也常常莫名其妙
不能明白
一些不足挂齿的东西反倒改变着我们
随口的话语和莫须有的轻慢
可以葬送多年的友谊
使我们彼此疏远分离
给我们的心灵带来莫大的损害
不明白
有多少人缺乏同情心
我们为此而心如刀绞
有多少悲伤、孤独的心正在破碎
多少高贵的心灵随风飘去
莫名其妙
哦，上帝！人们怎样才能看得清楚一些
或者在他们看不清的地方
不要施行严厉的审判
哦，上帝！人类怎样才能彼此走近一步
人类怎样才能更靠近你一些
着实困惑
Not understood
by Thomas Bracken
Not understood, we move along asunder;
Our paths grow wider as the seasons creep
Along the years; we marvel and we wonder
Why life is life, and then we fall asleep
Not understood.
Not understood, we gather false impressions
And hug them closer as the years go by;
Till virtues often seem to us transgressions;
And thus men rise and fall, and live and die
Not understood.
Not understood! Poor souls with stunted vision
Oft measure giants with their narrow gauge;
The poisoned shafts of falsehood and derision
Are oft impelled ‘gainst those who mould the age,
Not understood.
Not understood! The secret springs of action
Which lie beneath the surface and the show,
Are disregarded; with self-satisfaction
We judge our neighbours, and they often go
Not understood.
Not understood! How trifles often change us!
The thoughtless sentence and the fancied slight
Destroy long years of friendship, and estrange us,
And on our souls there falls a freezing blight;
Not understood.
Not understood! How many breasts are aching
For lack of sympathy! Ah! day by day
How many cheerless, lonely hearts are breaking!
How many noble spirits pass away,
Not understood.
O God! that men would see a little clearer,
Or judge less harshly where they cannot see!
O God! that men would draw a little nearer
To one another, — they’d be nearer Thee,
And understood.
Not understood, we move along asunder;
Our paths grow wider as the seasons creep
Along the years; we marvel and we wonder
Why life is life, and then we fall asleep
Not understood.
Not understood, we gather false impressions
And hug them closer as the years go by;
Till virtues often seem to us transgressions;
And thus men rise and fall, and live and die
Not understood.
Not understood! Poor souls with stunted vision
Oft measure giants with their narrow gauge;
The poisoned shafts of falsehood and derision
Are oft impelled ‘gainst those who mould the age,
Not understood.
Not understood! The secret springs of action
Which lie beneath the surface and the show,
Are disregarded; with self-satisfaction
We judge our neighbours, and they often go
Not understood.
Not understood! How trifles often change us!
The thoughtless sentence and the fancied slight
Destroy long years of friendship, and estrange us,
And on our souls there falls a freezing blight;
Not understood.
Not understood! How many breasts are aching
For lack of sympathy! Ah! day by day
How many cheerless, lonely hearts are breaking!
How many noble spirits pass away,
Not understood.
O God! that men would see a little clearer,
Or judge less harshly where they cannot see!
O God! that men would draw a little nearer
To one another, — they’d be nearer Thee,
And understood.
百年前的新西兰诗人 Thomas Bracken 之墓
