The Nightingale and The Rose

The Nightingale and the Rose(夜莺与玫瑰英文版)
"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 red rose.''
Fome her nest in the 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 filled with tears."Ah,I have read allthat the wise men have written,and all the secrets of philosophy are mine,yet for a red rose my life is made wretched.''
"Here at last is a true lover,''said the Nightingale."Night after night have I sung of him,and now I see him.''
"The Prince gives a ball tomorrow night,''murmured the young Student,"and my love will be there.If bring her a red rose she will dance with me tilll dawn.I shall hold her in my arms,and she will lean her head upon my shoulder.But there is no red rose in my garden,so I shall sit sit lonely and my heart will break.''
"Here.indeed,is the true lover,''said the Nightingale.Surely love is a wonderful thing.It is more precious than emeralds andopals.
"The musicians will play upon their stringed instruments,''said the young Student,"and my love will dance to the sound of the harp and the violin.She will dance in his hands,and wept.
"Why is he weeping?''asked a green Liard,as he ran past him with his face in his tail in the air.
"Why,indeed?'' whispered a Daisy to his neighbor,in a soft,low voice.
"He is weping for a red rose,''said the Nightingale.
"For a red rose?''they cried,"how very ridculous/'' and the little Lizard who was something of a cynic,laughed outright.But the Nightingale understood the Student's sorrow,and sat silent in the Oak-tree.
Suddenly she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared into the air.She passed through the grove like a shadow and like a shadow and like a shadow she saild across the garden.
In the centre of the grass-plot stoood a beautiful Rose-tree,and when she saw it she flew over to it."Give me a 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 roundthe old sun-dial,and perhaps will give you what you want.''
So the Nightingale flew 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.''But the Tee shook its head.
"My roses are yellow,''it answwered,"as yellow as the hair of the mermaiden,and yellower than the daffodil that bloons in the meadow.But go to my brother who brother who grows beaneath the Student's window,and perhaps he will ggive 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 TreeShook its head.
"My roses are red,''it answered ,"asred as the f

eet of the dove ,and redder than the great fans of coral. But the winter haschilled my veins,and the frost has nipped my buds,and the storm has broken my branches,and Ishall have no roses at all this year.''
"One red rose is all that I want,''cried the Nightingale ,"only one red rose /Is there no way by which I can get it ?''
"There is a way .''said the Tree,"but it is so terrible that I dare not tell it to you .''
"Tell it to me.''said the Nightingale ,"Iam 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 ,"anf life is very dear to all.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 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 ,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 you be a true lover.''
The Student looked up frome the grass,and lisened,but he could not understandwhat the Nightingale was saying to him.But the Oak-tree understood and felt sad,for he was very fond of the little Nightingale ."Sing me one last song,'' he whispered."I shall feel lonely whwen you are gone.''
So the Nightingale sang to the Oak-tree,and her voice was like water bulling from aq silver jar.
When she had finished her song ,the Student got up.
"She has form,''he said to himself .as he walked away."That cannot be denied.But has she got feeling ?I am afraid not.In fact,like most artists,she is all style without any sincerity.''And he went to his room ,and lay down on his bed ,and after a time,he fell asleep .''
And when the Moon shone in the heaven ,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 cold crystal Moon leaneddown and listebed.All night long she sang ,and the thorn went into her breast,and her life-blood ebbed awayfrom her.
She sang first of love in the heart of a boy and a girl.And on the topmost spray of the Rose-tree there blossomed a marvelous rose,petal following petal,as song followed song.
But the Tree cried to the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn,"Press closer, little Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn ,and louder and louder gre wher song ,for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a waid.
And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose,like the flush in t

he face of the bridegroom when he kissedthe lips of the bride.But the thorn had not yet reached her heart so the rose's heart remained white.
And 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 finished.''
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 wildergrew her song,for she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death,of the Love that dies not in the tomb.
And the marvelous rose became crimson.Crimson was the girldle of peatls,and crimsonas a ruby was the heart.
But the Nightingale's voice grew fainter and a film came over her eyes.Fainter and fainter grew her song,and she felt something chocking her in her throat.
Then she gave last burst of music.The white Moon heard it,and she forgot the dawn,and lingered on in the sky .The Red Rose heard it,and trembled,and trembled all over with ecstasy,and opened its in the cold morning air.
"Look,look/'' cried the Tree,"the rose is finished now.''But the Nightingale made no answe,for she was lying dead in the 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,"hereis the reddest rose I have ever seen.''And he leaned down and plucked it.
Then he put on his hat, and ran up to Professor's daughter with the rose in his hand.
"You said that you would dance with me if Ibrought you a red rose ,''cried the Student ."Here is the reddest rose in all the world.You will wear it tonight next your heart,and as we dance together it will tellyou how I love you.''
But the girl frowned.
Iam afraid it will not go with my dress.''she answered,"and besides,the Chamberlain's nephew has sent me some jewels,and everybody knows that jewels cost more than flowers.''
"Wel,upon my word,you are very ungratefull,'' said the Student angrily ;and he threw the rose into the street,where it fell into the gutter.
"What a silly thing Love is /''said the Student as he walked away ,"In fact it is quite unpracticalk ,and as in this age to be practical is everything,I shall go back to Philosophy.''
So he returned to his room to his rom and pulled out a great dusty book,and began to read.