Jag är ganska säker på att detta är "Han som har vingar" av Edmond Hamilton .
Du kanske har läst den i "Young mutants" antologi redigerad av Isaac Asimov 1984 (som jag tycker var ganska känd), även om novellen själv går tillbaka till mycket tidigare och publicerades först i juli 1938-frågan om Weird Tales , som är tillgängligt på Internet Archive .
- Det handlade om en man med vingar som flög över en gård och blev sköt ned av bonden och missade honom för någon fågel, tror jag.
He was on his spring flight north, and at dusk felt hunger. He made out in the twilight a suburban mansion amid extensive orchards and gardens, and swooped down toward it with ideas of early berries. He was very near the trees in the twilight when a gun roared from the ground. David felt a blinding stab of pain through his head, and knew nothing more.
- Hans dotter bryr sig mannen till hälsan,
The girl asked gently, "Are you feeling better now? The doctor says you'll soon be as good as ever." She added, "This is my father, Wilson Hall, I'm Ruth Hall."
David stared up at her. He thought he had never seen anyone so beautiful as this shy, soft, dark girl with her curling black hair and tender, worried brown eyes.
- de slutade gifta sig men han var tvungen att skära av sina vingar.
She said, "David, there is a way in which we could marry and be happy, if you love me enough to do it."
"I'll do anything!" he cried. "You know that."
She hesitated.
"Your wings - they're what keep us apart. [...] But if you were to have your wings taken off ---"
- I framtiden börjar hans vingar växa tillbaka och han bestämmer sig för att flyga men hans vingar är inte tillräckligt starka för att stödja honom.
For the wings were growing out again, day by day. [...]
Could he fly at all, now? Would these poor, stunted, second wings even bear him aloft for a few minutes? No, they wouldn't - he knew they wouldn't!
- Han hamnar i en sjö (eller lite vatten) och historien slutar.
So that when his tired wings began at last to fail, and he began to sink lower and lower toward the silvered waters, there was no fear and no regret in his breast. It was what he had always expected and wanted, at the end, and he was drowsily glad - glad to be falling as all they with wings must finally fall, after a brief lifetime of wild, sweet flight, dropping contentedly to rest.