無言的部落格

When I was one-and-twenty

I heard a wise man say,

Give crowns and pounds and guineas

But not your heart away;

Give pearls away and rubies,

But keep your fancy free.

But I was one-and-twenty,

No use to talk to me.

When I was one-and-twenty

I heard him say again,

The heart out of the bosom

Was never given in vain;

‘Tis paid with sighs aplenty

And sold for endless rue.

And I am two-and-twenty,

And oh, ‘tis true, ‘tis true.

                    ~ by A. E. Housman, 1859-1936

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我二十一歲那年，

聽到一位智者說：

「銀幣、英鎊、金幣皆可給人，

但你的心不能給人；

珍珠、紅寶石可割捨，

但把持內心的逍遙自在。」

但我當時才二十一歲，

跟我講這些話是沒用的。 

我二十一歲那年，

又聽到他這麼說：

「胸膛內的一顆心，

絕不能白白掏出給人；

只會換來聲聲嘆息，

出賣所得的會是無窮的悔恨。」

如今我已二十二歲了，

唉！講得真對！真對！