THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE 夜鶯與玫瑰

“這真是個真情人。”夜鶯又說著，“我所歌唱，是他嘗受的苦楚：在我是樂的，在他卻是悲痛。‘愛’果然是件非常的東西。比翡翠還珍重，比瑪瑙更寶貴。珍珠、榴石買不得他，黃金亦不能作他的代價，因為他不是在市上出賣，也不是商人販賣的東西。”

“She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses，”cried the young Student；“but in all my garden there is no red rose.”

From her nest in the holm-oak tree the Nightingale heard him, and she looked out through the leaves, and wondered.

“No red rose in all my garden！”he cried, and his beautiful eyes flled with tears.“Ah, on what little things does happiness depend！I have read all that the wise men have written, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.”

“Here at last is a true lover，”said the Nightingale.“Night after night have I sung of him, though I knew him not：night after night have I told his story to the stars, and now I see him. His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his desire；but passion has made his face like pale ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow.”

“她說我若為她采得紅玫瑰，便與我跳舞。”青年學生哭著說，“但我全園里何曾有一朵紅玫瑰？”

夜鶯在橡樹上巢中聽見，從葉叢里望外看，心中詫異。

青年哭道：“我園中并沒有紅玫瑰！”他秀眼里滿含著淚珠。“呀！幸福倒靠著這些區區小東西！古圣賢書我已讀完，哲學的玄秘我已徹悟，然而因為求一朵紅玫瑰不得，我的生活便這樣難堪。”

夜鶯嘆道：“真情人竟在這里。以前我雖不曾認識，我卻夜夜地歌唱他：我夜夜將他的一樁樁事告訴星辰，如今我見著他了。他的頭發黑如風信子花，嘴唇紅比他所切盼的玫瑰，但是摯情已使他臉色憔悴，煩惱已在他眉端引著痕跡。”

“The Prince gives a ball to-morrow night，”murmured the young Student，“and my love will be of the company. If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me till dawn.If I bring her a red rose, I shall hold her in my arms, and she will lean her head upon my shoulder, and her hand will be clasped in mine.But there is no red rose in my garden, so I shall sit lonely, and she will pass me by.She will have no heed of me, and my heart will break.”

“Here indeed is the true lover，”said the Nightingale.“What I sing of, he suffers：what is joy to me, to him is pain. Surely Love is a wonderful thing.It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals.Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the marketplace.It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.”

“The musicians will sit in their gallery，”said the

青年又低聲自語：“王子今晚宴會跳舞，我的愛人也將與會。我若為她采得紅玫瑰，她就和我跳舞直到天明。我若為她采得紅玫瑰，我將把她抱在懷里。她的頭，在我肩上枕著；她的手，在我手中握著。但我園里沒有紅玫瑰，我只能寂寞地坐著，看她從我跟前走過。她不理睬我，我的心將要粉碎了。”

“這真是個真情人。”夜鶯又說著，“我所歌唱，是他嘗受的苦楚：在我是樂的，在他卻是悲痛。‘愛’果然是件非常的東西。比翡翠還珍重，比瑪瑙更寶貴。珍珠、榴石買不得他，黃金亦不能作他的代價，因為他不是在市上出賣，也不是商人販賣的東西。”

青年說：“樂師們將在樂壇上彈弄絲竹，我那愛人也將按著弦琴的

young Student，“and play upon their stringed instruments, and my love will dance to the sound of the harp and the violin. She will dance so lightly that her feet will not touch the foor, and the courtiers in their gay dresses will throng round her.But with me she will not dance, for I have no red rose to give her”；and he fung himself down on the grass, and buried his face in his hands, and wept.

“Why is he weeping?”asked a little Green Lizard, as he ran past him with his tail in the air.

“Why, indeed?”said a Butterfy, who was futtering about after a sunbeam.

“Why, indeed?”whispered a Daisy to his neighbour, in a soft, low voice.

“He is weeping for a red rose，”said the Nightingale.

“For a red rose?”they cried；“how very ridiculous！”and the little Lizard, who was something of a cynic, laughed outright. But the Nightingale understood the secret of the Student's sorrow, and she sat silent in the oak-tree, and thought about the mystery of Love.

音節舞蹈。她舞得那么翩翩，蓮步都不著地，華服的少年們就會艷羨地圍著她。但她不同我跳舞，因我沒有為她采到紅玫瑰。”于是，他撲倒在草里，兩手掩著臉哭泣。

綠色的小壁虎說，“他為什么哭泣？”說完就豎起尾巴從他跟前跑過。

蝴蝶正追著陽光飛舞，他亦問說：“唉，怎么？”金盞花亦向她的鄰居低聲探問：“唉，怎么？”夜鶯說，“他為著一朵紅玫瑰哭泣。”

他們叫道：“為著一朵紅玫瑰！真笑話！”那小壁虎本來就刻薄，于是大笑。

然而，夜鶯了解那青年煩惱里的秘密，她靜坐

Suddenly she spread her brown wings for fight, and soared into the air. She passed through the grove like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed across the garden.

In the centre of the grass-plot was standing a beautiful Rose-tree, and when she saw it she few over to it, and lit upon a spray.

“Give me a red rose，”she cried，“and I will sing you my sweetest song.”

But the Tree shook its head.

“My roses are white，”it answered；“as white as the foam of the sea, and whiter than the snow upon the mountain. But go to my brother who grows round the old sun-dial, and perhaps he will give you what you want.”

So the Nightingale few over to the Rose-tree that was growing round the old sun-dial.

“Give me a red rose，”she cried，“and I will sing you my sweetest song.”

在橡樹枝上細想“愛”的玄妙。

忽然，她張起棕色的雙翼，沖天地飛去。她穿過那樹林如同影子一般，如同影子一般的，她飛出了花園。

草地當中站著一株艷美的玫瑰樹，她看見那樹，向前飛去落在一枝枝頭上。

她叫道：“給我一朵鮮紅玫瑰，我為你唱我最婉轉的歌。”

可是那樹搖頭。

“我的玫瑰是白的，”那樹回答她，“白如海濤的泡沫，白過山巔上的積雪。請你到古日晷旁找我兄弟，或者他能應你所求。”

于是，夜鶯飛到日晷旁邊那叢玫瑰上。

她又叫道：“給我一朵鮮紅玫瑰，我為你唱最醉人的歌。”

But the Tree shook its head.

“My roses are yellow，”it answered；“as yellow as the hair of the mermaiden who sits upon an amber throne, and yellower than the daffodil that blooms in the meadow before the mower comes with his scythe. But go to my brother who grows beneath the Student's window, and perhaps he will give you what you want.”

So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree that was growing beneath the Student's window.

“Give me a red rose，”she cried，“and I will sing you my sweetest song.”

But the Tree shook its head.

“My roses are red，”it answered，“as red as the feet of the dove, and redder than the great fans of coral that wave and wave in the ocean-cavern. But the winter has chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped my buds, and

可是那樹搖頭。

“我的玫瑰是黃的，”那樹回答她，“黃如琥珀座上人魚神的頭發，黃過割草人未割以前的金水仙。請你到那邊青年窗下找我兄弟，或者他能應你所求。”

于是，夜鶯飛到青年窗下那叢玫瑰上。

她仍舊叫道：“給我一朵鮮紅玫瑰，我為你唱最甜美的歌。”

可是那樹搖頭。

那樹回答她道：“我的玫瑰是紅的，紅如白鴿的腳趾，紅如海底巖下扇動的珊瑚。但是嚴冬已凍僵了我的血脈，寒霜已嚙傷了我的萌芽，暴風已打斷了我的枝干，今年我不能再開了。”

夜鶯央告說：“一朵紅玫瑰就夠了。只要一朵

the storm has broken my branches, and I shall have no roses at all this year.”

“One red rose is all I want，”cried the Nightingale，“only one red rose！Is there no way by which I can get it?”

“There is away，”answered the Tree；“but it is so terrible that I dare not tell it to you.”

“Tell it to me，”said the Nightingale，“I am not afraid.”

“If you want a red rose，”said the Tree，“you must build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heart's-blood. You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn.All night long you must sing to me, and the thorn must pierce your heart, and your life-blood must flow into my veins, and become mine.”

“Death is a great price to pay for a red rose，”cried the Nightingale，“and Life is very dear to all. It is

紅玫瑰！請問有甚法子沒有？”

那樹答道：“有一個法子，只有一個，但是太可怕了，我不敢告訴你。”

“告訴我吧，”夜鶯勇敢地說，“我不怕。”

那樹說道：“你若要一朵紅玫瑰，你需在月色里用音樂制成，然后用你自己的心血染她。你須將胸口頂著一根尖刺，為我歌唱。你須整夜地為我歌唱，那刺須刺入你的心頭，你生命的血液得流到我的心房里變成我的。”

夜鶯嘆道：“拿死來買一朵紅玫瑰，代價真不小。誰的生命不是寶貴的，坐在青郁的森林里，看太陽在黃金車里，月亮在白珠輦內馳騁，真是一樁樂事。山楂花的味兒真香，山谷里的吊鐘花和山坡上的野草真美。然而‘愛’比生命更可貴，一只鳥的心又怎

pleasant to sit in the green wood, and to watch the Sun in his chariot of gold, and the Moon in her chariot of pearl. Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn, and sweet are the bluebells that hide in the valley, and the heather that blows on the hill.Yet Love is better than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?”

So she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared into the air. She swept over the garden like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed through the grove.

The young Student was still lying on the grass, where she had left him, and the tears were not yet dry in his beautiful eyes.

“Be happy，”cried the Nightingale，“be happy；you shall have your red rose. I will build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with my own heart's-blood.All that I ask of you in return is that you will be a true lover, for Love is wiser than Philosophy, though she is wise, and mightier than Power, though he is mighty.Flame-coloured are his wings, and coloured like fame is his body.

能和人的心比？”

忽然，她張起棕色的雙翼，沖天的飛去。她穿過那花園如同影子一般，她蕩出了那樹林子。

那青年仍舊僵臥在草地上方才她離去的地方，他那雙秀眼里的淚珠還沒有干。

夜鶯喊道：“高興吧，快樂吧，你將要采到你那朵紅玫瑰了，我將用月下的歌音制成她。我向你所求的報酬，僅是要你做一個真摯的情人。因為哲理雖智，愛比她更慧；權力雖雄，愛比她更偉。焰光的色彩是愛的雙翅，烈火的顏色是愛的軀干。她又如蜜的口唇，若蘭的吐氣。”

His lips are sweet as honey, and his breath is like frankincense.”

The Student looked up from the grass, and listened, but he could not understand what the Nightingale was saying to him, for he only knew the things that are written down in books.

But the Oak-tree understood, and felt sad, for he was very fond of the little Nightingale who had built her nest in his branches.

“Sing me one last song，”he whispered；“I shall feel very lonely when you are gone.”

So the Nightingale sang to the Oak-tree, and her voice was like water bubbling from a silver jar.

When she had finished her song the Student got up, and pulled a note-book and a lead-pencil out of his pocket.

“She has form，”he said to himself，

青年從草里抬頭側耳靜聽，但是他不懂夜鶯對他所說的話，因他只曉得書上所講的一切。

那橡樹卻是懂得，他覺得悲傷，因為他極愛憐那枝上結巢的小夜鶯。

他輕聲說道：“唱一首最后的歌給我聽罷。你離去后，我要感到無限的寂寥了。”

于是，夜鶯為橡樹歌唱，她戀別的音調就像在銀瓶里涌溢的水浪一般的清越。

她唱罷時，那青年站起身來，從衣袋里抽出一本日記簿和一支筆。

他一面走出那樹林，一面自語道：“那夜鶯的確有些姿態。這是人

as he walked away through the grove—“that cannot be denied to her；but has she got feeling?I am afraid not. In fact, she is like most artists；she is all style, without any sincerity.She would not sacrifce herself for others.She thinks merely of music, and everybody knows that the arts are selfsh.Still, it must be admitted that she has some beautiful notes in her voice.What a pity it is that they do not mean anything, or do any practical good.”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.

And when the Moon shone in the heavens the Nightingale flew to the Rose-tree, and set her breast against the thorn. All night long she sang with her breast against the thorn, and the cold crystal Moon leaned down and listened.All night long she sang, and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast, and her life-blood ebbed away from her.

She sang frst of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. And on the top-most spray of the Rose-tree there blossomed a marvellous rose, petal following petal, as song followed song.Pale was it, at frst, as the mist that hangs over the river—pale as the feet of the morning, and silver as the wings

所不能否認的；但是她有感情么？我怕沒有。實在她就像許多美術家一般，盡是儀式，沒有誠心。她必不肯為人犧牲。她所想的無非是音樂，可是誰不知道藝術是為己的。雖然，我們總須承認她有醉人的歌喉。可惜那種歌音也是無意義，毫無實用。”于是，他回到自己室中，躺在他的小草墊的床上想念他的愛人。過了片時，他就睡去。

待月娘升到天空，放出她的光艷時，那夜鶯也就來到玫瑰枝邊，將胸口插在刺上。她胸前插著尖刺，整夜地歌唱，那晶瑩的月亮倚在云邊靜聽。她整夜的，囀著歌喉，那刺越插越深，她生命的血液漸漸溢去。

最先她歌頌的是稚男幼女心胸里愛戀的誕生。于是，那玫瑰的頂尖枝上結了一苞卓絕的玫瑰蕾，歌兒一首連著一首地唱，花瓣一片跟著一片地開。起先，那瓣兒是黯淡的如同河上罩著的薄霧——黯淡的如同晨曦的交際，銀灰的好似曙光的翅翼，那枝上玫瑰蕾就像映在銀鏡里的玫瑰影子或是照在池塘的玫瑰化身。

of the dawn. 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.

But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn.“Press closer, little Nightingale，”cried the Tree，“or the Day will come before the rose is fnished.”

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and louder and louder grew her song, for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.

And a delicate fush of pink came into the leaves of the rose, like the fush in the face of the bridegroom when he kisses the lips of the bride. But the thorn had not yet reached her heart, so the rose's heart remained white, for only a Nightingale's heart's-blood can crimson the heart of a rose.

And the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn.“Press closer, little Nightingale，”cried the

但是那樹還催迫著夜鶯緊插那枝刺。“靠緊那刺，小夜鶯。”那樹連聲地叫喚，“不然，玫瑰還沒開成，曉光就要闖來了。”

于是，夜鶯越緊插入那尖刺，越揚聲地唱她的歌，因她這回所歌頌的是男子與女子性靈里烈情的誕生。

如今，那玫瑰瓣上生了一層嬌嫩的紅暈，如同初吻新娘時新郎的絳頰。但是那刺還未插到夜鶯的心房，所以那花心尚留著白色，因為只有夜鶯的心血可以染成玫瑰花心。

那樹復催迫著夜鶯緊插那枝刺，“靠緊那刺，小夜鶯，”那樹連聲

Tree，“or the Day will come before the rose is fnished.”

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and the thorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song, for she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb.

And the marvellous rose became crimson, like the rose of the eastern sky. Crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart.

But the Nightingale's voice grew fainter, and her little wings began to beat, and a flm came over her eyes. Fainter and fainter grew her song, and she felt something choking her in her throat.

Then she gave one last burst of music. The white Moon heard it, and

地叫喚，“不然，玫瑰還沒開成，曉光就要闖來了。”

于是，夜鶯緊緊插入那枝刺，那刺居然插入了她的心，但是一種奇痛穿過她的全身，那種慘痛愈猛、愈烈，她的歌聲越狂、越壯，因為她這回歌頌的是因死而完成的摯愛和冢中不朽的愛情。

那卓絕的玫瑰于是變作鮮紅，如同東方的天色。花的外瓣紅同烈火，花的內心赤如絳玉。

夜鶯的聲音越唱越模糊了，她的雙翅拍動起來，她的眼上起了一層薄膜。她的歌聲模糊了，她覺得喉間哽咽了。

she forgot the dawn, and lingered on in the sky. The red rose heard it, and it trembled all over with ecstasy, and opened its petals to the cold morning air.Echo bore it to her purple cavern in the hills, and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams.It floated through the reeds of the river, and they carried its message to the sea.

“Look, look！”cried the Tree，“the rose is fnished now”；but the Nightingale made no answer, for she was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart.

And at noon the Student opened his window and looked out.

“Why, what a wonderful piece of luck！”he cried；“here is a red rose！I have never seen any rose like it in all my life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name”；and he leaned down and plucked it.

Then he put on his hat, and ran up to the Professor's house with the rose in his hand.

The daughter of the Professor was sitting in the doorway winding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog was lying at her feet.

于是，她放出末次的歌聲，白色的殘月聽見，忘記天曉，掛在空中停著。那玫瑰聽見，凝神戰栗著，在清冷的曉風里瓣瓣地開放。回音將歌聲領入山坡上的紫洞，將牧童從夢里驚醒。歌聲流到河邊葦叢中，葦葉將這信息傳與大海。

那樹叫道：“看，這玫瑰已制成了。”然而，夜鶯并不回答，她已躺在亂草里死去，那刺還插在心頭。

日午時，青年開窗望外看。

他叫道：“怪事，真是難遇的幸運，這兒有朵紅玫瑰，這樣好玫瑰，我生來從沒有見過。它這樣美紅，定有很繁長的拉丁名字。”說著便俯身下去折了這花。

于是，他戴上帽子，跑往教授家去，手里拈著紅玫瑰。

教授的女兒正坐在門前卷一軸藍色綢子，她的小狗伏在她腳前。

青年叫道：“你說過我若為你采得紅玫瑰，你便同我跳舞。這里有一朵全世界最珍貴的紅玫瑰，你可以將她插在你的胸前。我們同舞的

“You said that you would dance with me if I brought you a red rose，”cried the Student.“Here is the reddest rose in all the world. You will wear it to-night next your heart, and as we dance together it will tell you how I love you.”

But the girl frowned.

“I am afraid it will not go with my dress，”she answered；“and, besides, the Chamberlain's nephew has sent me some real jewels, and everybody knows that jewels cost far more than fowers.”

“Well, upon my word, you are very ungrateful，”said the Student angrily；and he threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it.

“Ungrateful！”said the girl.“I tell you what, you are very rude；and, after all, who are you?Only a Student. Why, I don't believe you have even got silver buckles to your shoes as the Chamberlain's nephew

時候，這花便能告訴你，我怎樣的愛你。”

那女郎只皺著眉頭。

她答說：“我怕這花不能配上我的衣裳，而且大臣的侄子送我許多珠寶首飾，人人都知道珠寶比花草貴重。”

青年怒道：“我敢說你是個無情義的人。”她便將玫瑰擲在街心，掉在車轍里，讓一個車輪軋過。

女郎說：“無情義？我告訴你吧，你實在無禮。況且到底你是誰？不過一個學生文人，我看像大臣侄子鞋上的那銀扣，你都沒有。”說著站起身來走回房去。

青年走著自語道：“愛好傻呀，遠不如倫理學那般有實用，它所告

has”；and she got up from her chair and went into the house.

“What I a silly thing Love is，”said the Student as he walked away.“It is not half as useful as Logic, for it does not prove anything, and it is always telling one of things that are not going to happen, and making one believe things that are not true. In fact, it is quite unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is everything, I shall go back to Philosophy and study Metaphysics.”

So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book, and began to read.

訴我們的，無非是空中樓閣，實際上不會發生的，和縹緲的虛無不可信的事件。在現在的世界里存在，首要有實用的東西，我還是回到我的哲學和玄學書上去吧。”

于是，他回到房中，取出一本笨重的、滿堆著塵土的大書埋頭細讀。

（林徽因　譯）