——R. Herrick
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may for ever tarry.
赫里克[1]
請不失時機將含苞的玫瑰采摘,
往昔的時光正漸漸遠遁,
這花兒今天尚向你微笑,
明天就會萎蔫凋零。
太陽,天宇的那盞明燈,
只要升得越高,
就越快跑完全程,
離西沉的時刻更近。
青春和熱血沸騰的當年,
是人生最美好的年份,
此時一旦虛度,那惡劣,
更加惡劣的日子就會降臨。
因此,別害羞,要把握時機,
趁花季尚在,嫁個良人:
青春年華一旦失去,
你將永遠把自己耽誤。
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[1]羅伯特·赫里克(Robert Herrick,1591—1674),詩人。出生于富有的金首飾商家庭,畢業(yè)于劍橋大學。擅長寫抒情詩。斯文本曾稱他為“英國最偉大的歌曲作者”。主要作品有《眾仙女》《崇高的節(jié)奏》等。