威廉·布莱克（William Blake）是18世纪末、19世纪初的一个英国诗人，活着的时候没人知道，直到20世纪初才被挖掘出来。他在国内最出名就是下面四行诗：

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.

这四行诗的中译，我估计至少有二三十种。下面选贴几种。

一沙见世界, 一花窥天堂. 手心握无限, 须臾纳永恒.

----译者不详

在一颗沙粒中见一个世界， 在一朵鲜花中见一片天空， 在你的掌心里把握无限， 在一个钟点里把握无穷。 　　 ----《布莱克诗集》上海三联，张炽恒译

从一粒沙看世界， 从一朵花看天堂， 把永恒纳进一个时辰， 把无限握在自己手心。

----王佐良

一花一世界， 一沙一天国， 君掌盛无边， 刹那含永劫。

----宗白华

一颗沙里看出一个世界 一朵野花里一座天堂 把无限放在你的手掌上 永恒在一刹那里收藏

----《世界上最美丽的英文----人生短篇》

但是，这几行诗在欧美并不是那么有名，讲起布莱克的时候，也不把这看作他的代表作。似乎只有中国人才特别迷恋这几句话，我猜想也许因为这首诗跟佛教思想有相通之处有关系。

这四行诗选自一首长达132行、名为《天真的预兆》（Auguries of Innocence）的长诗，是开头四行。这首长诗似乎并不重要，没有收在布莱克主要几本诗集里，评论家也不谈，我在网上甚至找不到它是写于哪一年的。

这首长诗通篇的风格与前四行诗很吻合，都是那种含有哲理的格言诗，总得来说很费解。越到后面越难理解，我读了几遍，都没有看明白。

William Blake - 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 redbreast in a cage Puts all heaven in a rage.

A dove-house fill'd with doves and pigeons Shudders hell thro' all its regions. A dog starv'd at his master's gate Predicts the ruin of the state.

A horse misused 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 clipt and arm'd for fight Does the rising sun affright.

Every wolf's and lion's howl Raises from hell a human soul.

The wild deer, wand'ring here and 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 and widow's cat, Feed them and thou wilt grow fat.

The gnat that sings his summer's song Poison gets from slander's tongue. The poison of the snake and newt Is the sweat of envy's foot.

The poison of the honey bee Is the artist's jealousy.

The prince's robes and beggar's 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 and woe; And when this we rightly know, Thro' the world we safely go.

Joy and woe are woven fine, A clothing for the soul divine. Under every grief and pine Runs a joy with silken twine.

The babe is more than swaddling bands; 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, and 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 and 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 lab'rer's hands Shall buy and sell the miser's lands; Or, if protected from on high, Does that whole nation sell and buy.

He who mocks the infant's faith Shall be mock'd in age and death. He who shall teach the child to doubt The rotting grave shall ne'er get out.

He who respects the infant's faith Triumphs over hell and death. The child's toys and 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 to the armour's iron brace.

When gold and 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 and 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 and 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 and gambler, by the state Licensed, 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 and every morn Some to misery are born, Every morn and 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, and God is light, To those poor souls who dwell in night; But does a human form display To those who dwell in realms of day.