My Love is Selfish

中外古今，无论伟大的、渺小的、有才华的、平庸的……，何人能逃脱情毒之苦

济慈像*

My dearest Girl,

This moment I have set myself to copy some verses out fair. I cannot proceed with any degree of content. I must write you a line or two and see if that will assist in dismissing you from my Mind for ever so short a time. Upon my Soul I can think of nothing else — The time is passed when I had power to advise and warn you against the unpromising morning of my Life — My love has made me selfish. I cannot exist without you — I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again — my Life seems to stop there — I see no further. You have absorb’d me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I was dissolving—I should be exquisitely miserable without the hope of soon seeing you. I should be afraid to separate myself far from you. My sweet Fanny, will your heart never change? My love, will it? I have no limit now to my love — Your note came in just here — I cannot be happier away from you — ’T is richer than an Argosy of Pearles. Do not threat me even in jest. I have been astonished that Men could die Martyrs for religion — I have shudder’d at it — I shudder no more. I could be martyr’d for my Religion — Love is my religion — I could die for that — I could die for you. My Creed is Love and you are its only tenet — You have ravish’d me away by a Power I cannot resist; and yet I could resist till I saw you; and even since I have seen you I have endeavoured often “to reason against the reasons of my Love.” I can do that no more — the pain would be too great — My Love is selfish. I cannot breathe without you.

Yours for ever

John Keats

英国浪漫主义诗人济慈，在1818年底其兄汤姆死后，搬到一个朋友在Hampstead的房子去住，遇见并爱上了一位年轻的女邻居，Fanny Brawne。这封情书大概就是写给她的吧。

写这封情书的时候，他大约23岁，两年后，他因肺结核在罗马去世。

济慈之家 Fanny Brawne ** 济慈墓 ***

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*** 由Piero Montesacro - 自己的作品，CC BY-SA 3.0，https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2917770