英文原詩
Auguries of Innocence
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage.
A dove house fill'd with doves & Pigeons
Shudders Hell thro' all its regions.
A dog starv'd at his Master's Gate
Predicts the ruin of the State.
A Horse misus'd upon the Road
Calls to Heaven for Human blood.
Each outcry of the hunted Hare
A fibre from the Brain does tear.
A Skylark wounded in the wing,
A Cherubim does cease to sing.
The Game Cock clipp'd and arm'd for fight
Does the Rising Sun affright.
Every Wolf's & Lion's howl
Raises from Hell a Human Soul.
The wild deer, wand'ring here & there,
Keeps the Human Soul from Care.
The Lamb misus'd breeds public strife
And yet forgives the Butcher's Knife.
The Bat that flits at close of Eve
Has left the Brain that won't believe.
The Owl that calls upon the Night
Speaks the Unbeliever's fright.
He who shall hurt the little Wren
Shall never be belov'd by Men.
He who the Ox to wrath has mov'd
Shall never be by Woman lov'd.
The wanton Boy that kills the Fly
Shall feel the Spider's enmity.
He who torments the Chafer's sprite
Weaves a Bower in endless Night.
The Caterpillar on the Leaf
Repeats to thee thy Mother's grief.
Kill not the Moth nor Butterfly,
For the Last Judgement draweth nigh.
He who shall train the Horse to War
Shall never pass the Polar Bar.
The Beggar's Dog & Widow's Cat,
Feed them & thou wilt grow fat.
The Gnat that sings his Summer's song
Poison gets from Slander's tongue.
The poison of the Snake & Newt
Is the sweat of Envy's Foot.
The poison of the Honey Bee
Is the Artist's Jealousy.
The Prince's Robes & Beggars' Rags
Are Toadstools on the Miser's Bags.
A truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the Lies you can invent.
It is right it should be so;
Man was made for Joy & Woe;
And when this we rightly know
Thro' the World we safely go.
Joy & Woe are woven fine,
A Clothing for the Soul divine;
Under every grief & pine
Runs a joy with silken twine.
The Babe is more than swaddling Bands;
Throughout all these Human Lands
Tools were made, & born were hands,
Every Farmer Understands.
Every Tear from Every Eye
Becomes a Babe in Eternity.
This is caught by Females bright
And return'd to its own delight.
The Bleat, the Bark, Bellow & Roar
Are Waves that Beat on Heaven's Shore.
The Babe that weeps the Rod beneath
Writes Revenge in realms of death.
The Beggar's Rags, fluttering in Air,
Does to Rags the Heavens tear.
The Soldier arm'd with Sword & Gun,
Palsied strikes the Summer's Sun.
The poor Man's Farthing is worth more
Than all the Gold on Afric's Shore.
One Mite wrung from the Labrer's hands
Shall buy & sell the Miser's lands:
Or, if protected from on high,
Does that whole Nation sell & buy.
He who mocks the Infant's Faith
Shall be mock'd in Age & Death.
He who shall teach the Child to Doubt
The rotting Grave shall ne'er get out.
He who respects the Infant's faith
Triumph's over Hell & Death.
The Child's Toys & the Old Man's Reasons
Are the Fruits of the Two seasons.
The Questioner, who sits so sly,
Shall never know how to Reply.
He who replies to words of Doubt
Doth put the Light of Knowledge out.
The Strongest Poison ever known
Came from Caesar's Laurel Crown.
Nought can deform the Human Race
Like the Armour's iron brace.
When Gold & Gems adorn the Plow
To peaceful Arts shall Envy Bow.
A Riddle or the Cricket's Cry
Is to Doubt a fit Reply.
The Emmet's Inch & Eagle's Mile
Make Lame Philosophy to smile.
He who Doubts from what he sees
Will ne'er believe, do what you Please.
If the Sun & Moon should doubt
They'd immediately Go out.
To be in a Passion you Good may do,
But no Good if a Passion is in you.
The Whore & Gambler, by the State
Licenc'd, build that Nation's Fate.
The Harlot's cry from Street to Street
Shall weave Old England's winding Sheet.
The Winner's Shout, the Loser's Curse,
Dance before dead England's Hearse.
Every Night & every Morn
Some to Misery are Born.
Every Morn & every Night
Some are Born to sweet Delight.
Some are Born to sweet Delight,
Some are born to Endless Night.
We are led to Believe a Lie
When we see not Thro' the Eye
Which was Born in a Night to Perish in a Night
When the Soul Slept in Beams of Light.
God Appears & God is Light
To those poor Souls who dwell in the Night,
But does a Human Form Display
To those who Dwell in Realms of day.
譯作
1919年周作人在《少年中國》壹卷八期上發表了《英國詩人勃來克的思想》壹文，首次介紹了布萊克詩歌藝術的特性及其藝術思想的核心。文中說，布萊克是詩人、畫家，又是神秘的宗教家；他的藝術是以神秘思想為本，用了詩與畫，作表現的器具； 他特重想象（imagination）和感興（inspiration），其神秘思想多發表在預言書中，尤以《天國與地獄的結婚》壹篇為最重要，並第壹次譯出布萊克長詩《天真的預言》的總序四句：
壹粒沙裏看出世界，
壹朵野花裏見天國。
在妳掌裏盛住無限，
壹時間裏便是永遠。
這首詩前四句有多種譯法
《天真的預言》譯文
壹沙壹世界，壹花壹天國，
君掌盛無邊，剎那含永劫。
——李叔同譯 （宗白華在《中國藝術意境之誕生》所引用）
壹粒沙裏有壹個世界
壹朵花裏有壹個天堂
把無窮無盡握於手掌
永恒寧非是剎那時光
——陳之藩 譯
壹沙壹世界，壹花壹天堂。
無限掌中置，剎那成永恒。
——徐誌摩譯
壹顆沙裏看出壹個世界，
壹朵野花裏看出壹座天堂，
把無限放在妳的手掌上，
永恒在壹剎那裏收藏。
——梁宗岱譯
從壹粒沙子看世界
從壹朵野花見天堂，
把無限握在妳手掌
永恒在壹瞬間收藏。
——徐淳剛譯
其他譯文：
在壹顆沙粒中見壹個世界，
在壹朵鮮花中見壹片天空，
在妳的掌心裏把握無限，
在壹個鐘點裏把握無窮。
——張熾恒譯
從壹粒沙看世界，
從壹朵花看天堂，
把永恒納進壹個時辰，
把無限握在自己手心。
——王佐良譯
壹顆沙塵看世界，
壹朵野花定乾坤，
無限可以在妳的指間，
永恒也可以是瞬間。
——化童譯
壹沙壹世界，
壹花壹天堂。
雙手握無限，
剎那是永恒。
壹沙壹世界，
壹花壹天堂，
壹樹壹菩提，
壹葉壹如來。
天真的預言，
參悟千年的偈語。
另：個人覺得更好的翻譯，出處暫不知：
壹沙壹世界，壹花壹天堂。
掌心盛無限，須臾納永恒。 威廉·布萊克/作，張文武/譯
千萬別試圖說出妳的愛，
愛永遠不能被說出來；
因為妳不能聽到或看見，
那吹拂的微風。
我曾經說出我的愛，我曾經這樣，
我向她傾訴了我的衷腸；
她渾身顫抖，如陷冰窟，充滿恐懼，
啊！她離我而去！
她剛離開我，
就來了壹個過客，
他輕嘆壹聲，便將她帶走，
妳聽不到，也看不見。 英文原詩
Spring（春天）
Sound the Flute!
Now it's mute.
Birds delight
Day and Night.
Nightingale
In the dale
Lark in Sky
Merrily
Merrily Merrily to welcome in the Year.
Little Boy
Full of joy.
Little Girl
Sweet and small.
Cock does crow,
So do you.
Merry voice,
Infant noise,
Merrily Merrily to welcome in the Year.
Little Lamb,
Here I am,
Come and lick
My white neck.
Let me pull
Your soft Wool.
Let me kiss
Your soft face.
Merrily Merrily we welcome in the Year.
譯作
把笛子吹起！
現在它無聲無息。
白天夜晚
鳥兒們喜歡。
有壹只夜鶯
在山谷深深，
天上的雲雀，
滿心喜悅，
歡天喜地，
迎接新年到。
小小的男孩
無比歡快。
小小的女孩
玲瓏可愛。
公雞喔喔叫，
妳也叫聲高。
愉快的嗓音，
嬰兒的鬧聲，
歡天喜地，
迎接新年到。
小小的羊崽，
這裏有我在。
走過來舔舐，
我白白的脖子。
妳的毛柔軟，
讓我牽壹牽。
妳的臉嬌嫩，
讓我吻壹吻。
歡天喜地，
我們迎接新年到。 這首詩的三節像三個變焦電影鏡頭：由遠而近依次是山谷樹林、村莊農舍，然後聚焦在壹個與羊羔相戲的兒童身上。意象鮮明、具體、生動，趣味盎然。而詩以兒童的口吻寫出，反映了孩子們對春天的感受。詩行由片語和短句組成，註意押韻和反復，幾近童謠，輕松自然，瑯瑯上口，讀來有春天氣息撲面而來的新鮮。