1. Nothing gold can stay
by Robert Frost
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief.
So dawn goes down to day,
Nothing gold can stay.
参照: 简简吟 白居易
苏家小女名简简，芙蓉花腮柳叶眼。十一把镜学点妆，十二抽针能绣裳。十三行坐事调品，不肯迷头白地藏。玲珑云髻生花样，飘飖风袖蔷薇香。殊姿异态不可状，忽忽转动如有光。二月繁霜杀桃李，明年欲嫁今年死。丈人阿母勿悲啼，此女不是凡夫妻。恐是天仙谪人世，只合人间十三岁。大都好物不坚牢，彩云易散琉璃脆。
2. The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
3. The farthest distance in the world
By Tagore [tə'g ɔ:]
The farthest distance in the world
is not between life and death
but when I stand in front of you
yet you don't know that I love you
The farthest distance in the world
is not when I stand in front of you
yet you can't see my love
but when undoubtedly knowing the love from both
yet cannot be together
The farthest distance in the world
is not being apart while being in love
but when plainly can not resist the yearning
yet pretending you have never been in my heart
The farthest distance in the world
is not but using one's indifferent heart
to dig an uncrossable river
for the one who loves you
The farthest distance in the world
Is not we cannot be together when we love each other
But we pretend caring nothing even we know love is unconquerable
The farthest distance in the world
Is not the distance between two trees
But the branches cannot depend on each other in wind even they grow from the same root
The farthest distance in the world
Is not the braches cannot depend on each other
But two stars cannot meet even they watch each other
The farthest distance in the world
Is not the track between two stars
But nowhere to search in a tick after two tracks join
The farthest distance in the world
Is not nowhere to search in a tick
But doomed not to be together before they meet
The farthest distance in the world
Is the distance between fish and bird
One is in the sky, another is in the sea
4. A Psalm of life
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that much tomorrow,
Finds us farther than today.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting.
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac ['bivuæk] of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act —act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’er-head!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.
Pootprints that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labour and to wait.
生命礼赞
不要在哀伤的诗句里对我说，人生不过是一场幻梦！——昏睡的灵魂等于是死的，事物的真相和外表不同，人生是真切的！人生是实在的！它的归宿并不是荒坟；“你本是尘土，仍要归于尘土”这话说的并不是灵魂。我们命定的目标和道路, 不是享乐，也不是受苦；而是行动，在每个明天, 都要比今天前进一步。艺术永恒、时光飞逝，我们的心，虽然勇敢、坚决，仍然像闷声的鼓，它正在， 伴奏像坟墓送葬的哀乐。在这世界的辽阔战场上，在这人生的营帐中，莫学那听人驱策的哑畜，要做一个战斗中的英雄！别指靠未来，不管它多迷人！让已逝的过去永久埋葬！行动吧，——趁着现在的时光！良知在心中，上帝在头上！伟人的生平昭示我们：我们能够生活得高尚，而当告别人世的时候，留下脚印在时间的沙上。也许我们有一个弟兄航行在庄严的人生大海，船只沉没了，绝望的时候，会看到这脚印而振作起来。那么，让我们起来干吧，对任何命运抱英雄气概；不断地进取，不断地追求，要学会劳动，学会等待。
An Old Sweetheart
-James Whitcomb Riley
When I should be her lover for ever and a day,
And she my faithful sweetheart till her golden hair was gray,
And we should be so happy when either’s lips were dumb, They would not smile in heaven till other’s kiss had come.
-Translated by Lin Yutang
同心相牵挂 一缕情依依
岁月如梭逝 银丝鬓已稀
幽冥倘异路 仙府应凄凄
若欲开口笑 除非相见时
I happened to read the translated poem while reading a book describing the ups and downs in the life of Lin Yutang. I have never heard of the name of James Whitcomb Riley. Out of curiosity, I googled the name, the result is that James Whitcomb Riley is known as the children's poet.
The talented writer Lin Yutang translated this short poem to present it to his wife on the celebration of their 50th Marriage Anniversary.
1. Nothing gold can stay
by Robert Frost
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief.
So dawn goes down to day,
Nothing gold can stay.
参照: 简简吟 白居易
苏家小女名简简，芙蓉花腮柳叶眼。十一把镜学点妆，十二抽针能绣裳。十三行坐事调品，不肯迷头白地藏。玲珑云髻生花样，飘飖风袖蔷薇香。殊姿异态不可状，忽忽转动如有光。二月繁霜杀桃李，明年欲嫁今年死。丈人阿母勿悲啼，此女不是凡夫妻。恐是天仙谪人世，只合人间十三岁。大都好物不坚牢，彩云易散琉璃脆。
2. The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
3. The farthest distance in the world
By Tagore [tə'g ɔ:]
The farthest distance in the world
is not between life and death
but when I stand in front of you
yet you don't know that I love you
The farthest distance in the world
is not when I stand in front of you
yet you can't see my love
but when undoubtedly knowing the love from both
yet cannot be together
The farthest distance in the world
is not being apart while being in love
but when plainly can not resist the yearning
yet pretending you have never been in my heart
The farthest distance in the world
is not but using one's indifferent heart
to dig an uncrossable river
for the one who loves you
The farthest distance in the world
Is not we cannot be together when we love each other
But we pretend caring nothing even we know love is unconquerable
The farthest distance in the world
Is not the distance between two trees
But the branches cannot depend on each other in wind even they grow from the same root
The farthest distance in the world
Is not the braches cannot depend on each other
But two stars cannot meet even they watch each other
The farthest distance in the world
Is not the track between two stars
But nowhere to search in a tick after two tracks join
The farthest distance in the world
Is not nowhere to search in a tick
But doomed not to be together before they meet
The farthest distance in the world
Is the distance between fish and bird
One is in the sky, another is in the sea
4. A Psalm of life
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that much tomorrow,
Finds us farther than today.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting.
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac ['bivuæk] of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act —act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’er-head!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.
Pootprints that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labour and to wait.
生命礼赞
不要在哀伤的诗句里对我说，人生不过是一场幻梦！——昏睡的灵魂等于是死的，事物的真相和外表不同，人生是真切的！人生是实在的！它的归宿并不是荒坟；“你本是尘土，仍要归于尘土”这话说的并不是灵魂。我们命定的目标和道路, 不是享乐，也不是受苦；而是行动，在每个明天, 都要比今天前进一步。艺术永恒、时光飞逝，我们的心，虽然勇敢、坚决，仍然像闷声的鼓，它正在， 伴奏像坟墓送葬的哀乐。在这世界的辽阔战场上，在这人生的营帐中，莫学那听人驱策的哑畜，要做一个战斗中的英雄！别指靠未来，不管它多迷人！让已逝的过去永久埋葬！行动吧，——趁着现在的时光！良知在心中，上帝在头上！伟人的生平昭示我们：我们能够生活得高尚，而当告别人世的时候，留下脚印在时间的沙上。也许我们有一个弟兄航行在庄严的人生大海，船只沉没了，绝望的时候，会看到这脚印而振作起来。那么，让我们起来干吧，对任何命运抱英雄气概；不断地进取，不断地追求，要学会劳动，学会等待。
An Old Sweetheart
-James Whitcomb Riley
When I should be her lover for ever and a day,
And she my faithful sweetheart till her golden hair was gray,
And we should be so happy when either’s lips were dumb, They would not smile in heaven till other’s kiss had come.
-Translated by Lin Yutang
同心相牵挂 一缕情依依
岁月如梭逝 银丝鬓已稀
幽冥倘异路 仙府应凄凄
若欲开口笑 除非相见时
I happened to read the translated poem while reading a book describing the ups and downs in the life of Lin Yutang. I have never heard of the name of James Whitcomb Riley. Out of curiosity, I googled the name, the result is that James Whitcomb Riley is known as the children's poet.
The talented writer Lin Yutang translated this short poem to present it to his wife on the celebration of their 50th Marriage Anniversary.