[美文欣賞]

Virtue

by G.Herbert

Sweet day,so cool,so calm,so bright!

The bridal of the earth and sky-

The dew shall weep thy fall to-night;

For thou must die.

Sweet rose,whose hue angry and brave,

Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye,

Thy root is ever in its grave,

And thou must die.

Sweet spring,full of sweet days and roses,

A box where sweets compacted lie,

My music shows ye have your closes,

And all must die,

Only a sweet and virtuous soul,

Like season'd timber,never gives;

But though the whole world turn to coal,

Then chiefly lives.

[參考譯文]

美德

--赫伯特

甜美的白晝，如此涼爽、安寧、明媚!

天地間完美的匹配--

今宵的露珠兒將為你的消逝而落淚;

因為你必須離去。

美麗的玫瑰，色澤紅潤艷麗，

令匆匆而過的人拭目而視，

你的根永遠扎在墳墓里，

而你必須消逝。

美妙的春天，充滿了美好的日子和芳香的玫瑰，

如一支芬芳滿溢的盒子，

我的音樂表明你們也有終止，

萬物都得消逝。

唯有美好而正直的心靈，

猶如干燥備用的木料，永不走樣;

縱然整個世界變為灰燼，

它依然流光溢彩。