And he went into his room, and lay down on his little pallet-bed, and began to think of his love; and, after a time, he fell asleep.
于是他回到自己室中,躺在他的小草垫的床上想念他的爱人;过了片时他就睡去。
And when the Moon shone in the heavens the Nightingale flew to the Rose-tree, and set her breast against the thorn.
待月亮升到天空,放出她的光艳时,那夜莺也就来到玫瑰枝边,将胸口插在刺上。
All night long she sang with her breast against the thorn, and the cold crystal Moon leaned down and listened.
她胸前插着尖刺,整夜的歌唱,那晶莹的月亮倚在云边静听。
All night long she sang, and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast, and her life-blood ebbed away from her.
她整夜的,啭着歌喉,那刺越插越深,她生命的血液渐渐溢去。
She sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl.
最先她歌颂的是稚男幼女心胸里爱恋的诞生。
And on the top-most spray of the Rose-tree there blossomed a marvellous rose, petal following petal, as song followed song.
于是那玫瑰的顶尖枝上结了一苞卓绝的玫瑰蕾,歌儿一首连着一首的唱,花瓣一片跟着一片得开。
Pale was it, at first, as the mist that hangs over the river—pale as the feet of the morning, and silver as the wings of the dawn.
起先那瓣儿是黯淡的如同河上罩着的薄雾---黯淡的如同晨曦的交际,银灰的好似曙光的翅翼,
As the shadow of a rose in a mirror of silver, as the shadow of a rose in a water-pool, so was the rose that blossomed on the topmost spray of the Tree.
那枝上玫瑰蕾就像映在银镜里的玫瑰影子或是照在池塘的玫瑰化身。
But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn.
但是那树还催迫着夜莺紧插那枝刺。
"Press closer, little Nightingale," cried the Tree, "or the Day will come before the rose is finished."
“靠紧那刺,小夜莺。”那树连声的叫唤,“不然,玫瑰还没开成,晓光就要闯来了。”
So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn,
于是夜莺越紧插入那尖刺,
and louder and louder grew her song, for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.
越扬声的唱她的歌,因她这回所歌颂的是男子与女子心灵里烈情的诞生。
And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose,
如今那玫瑰瓣上生了一层娇嫩的红晕,
Like the flush in the face of the bridegroom when he kisses the lips of the bride.
如同初吻新娘时新郎的绛颊。
But the thorn had not yet reached her heart, so the rose's heart remained white,
但是那刺还未插到夜莺的心房,所以那花心尚留着白色,
for only a Nightingale's heart's-blood can crimson the heart of a rose.
因为只有夜莺的心血可以染成玫瑰花心。