Thomas Hardy
The Man He Killed
From "The Dynasts"
"HAD he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
wet We should have sat us down to
Right many a nipperkin!
But ranged as infantry,"
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.
"I shot him dead because
Because he was my foe,
Just so ؛my foe of course he was:
That's clear enough؛although
"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like just as I
work Was out of had sold his traps
No other reason why.
؛ You shoot a fellow down Was quaint and curious war is!
bar is, You'd treat, if met where any
Or help to half-a-crown."
From "The Dynasts"
"HAD he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
wet We should have sat us down to
Right many a nipperkin!
But ranged as infantry,"
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.
"I shot him dead because
Because he was my foe,
Just so ؛my foe of course he was:
That's clear enough؛although
"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like just as I
work Was out of had sold his traps
No other reason why.
؛ You shoot a fellow down Was quaint and curious war is!
bar is, You'd treat, if met where any
Or help to half-a-crown."
مردی که کشته شد
اگر من و او
در قهوه خانه ای قدیمی
یکدیگر را دیده بودیم
شاید با هم می نشستیم
و نو*شی*دنی ای با هم می خوردیم
اما چون در جنگ مثل دو سرباز ساده
رودروی هم قرار گرفتیم
به روی هم آتش گشودیم
من به او شلیک کردم
و در جا او را کشتم
او را زدم و کشتم زیرا
دشمن من بود
آری البته که او دشمن من بود
و این مثل روز روشن بود
اما ....
او هم شاید چون من به اجبار
وارد ارتش شده بود
و حتی از سر بیکاری
وسایل زندگی اش را هم فروخته بود.
جنگ چیز عجیب و غریبی است
به کسی شلیک می کنی
که اگر جایی قهوه خانه ای وجود داشت
او را به آنجا دعوت می کردی
یا با قدری پول به کمکش می رفتی.