美國語文第五冊 第65期：花朵與死亡
There is a Reaper whose name is Death,
收割者，姑且稱為死神，
And, with his sickle keen,
寒光凜冽，閃爍鐮刀鋒利，
He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
轉眼間，長滿胡須的作物伏地，
And the flowers that grow between.
滿地繁花凋零，一掃而盡。
"Shall I have naught that is fair?" saith he;
“我一無所獲，是否公平？”死神說，
Have naught but the bearded grain?
除卻谷物，最終萬物皆空，
Though the breath of these flowers is sweet to me,
清新恬謐的怒放，奉與死亡，
I will give them all back again.
可我終將魂魄，還給大地。
He gazed at the flowers with tearful eyes,
淚眼凝眸，風中婆娑招搖，
He kissed their drooping leaves;
死神親吻，頹枝敗葉的老去，
It was for the Lord of Paradise
捆扎曾經，晶瑩剔透般嬌艷，
He bound them in his sheaves.
伊甸園里，呼朋喚友的精靈。
My Lord has need of these flowerets gay,
上帝但愿，花朵們競相怒放，
The Reaper said, and smiled;
說話間，死神露出笑意，
Dear tokens of the earth are they,
這些屬于，大地的追憶饋贈。
Where he was once a child.
打他記事起，原本那樣。
They shall all bloom in the fields of light,
小心翼翼，我將希望之樹挪移，
Transplanted by my care,
光的國度里，花朵訇然綻放，
And saints, upon their garments white,
每一朵，圣潔素雅的花神，
These sacred blossoms wear.
每一位，穿披圣袍的優(yōu)美。
And the mother gave in tears and pain,
母親黯然神傷，痛苦哭泣，
The flowers she most did love;
芳香滿地，難訴別離衷腸，
She knew she should find them all again,
這一別，已是絕塵萬里，
In the fields of light above.
望斷秋水，幾多妖嬈難覓。
O, not in cruelty, not in wrath,
噢，不要殘忍，不要憤怒，
The Reaper came that day,
死亡之神，終于降臨，
This was an angel visited the green earth,
翩然天使，來到綠色大地，
And took the flowers away.
倏然帶走，恍然如夢仙境。
