評論
打印
The forward violet thus did I chide:
我對早開的紫羅蘭頗有下面的微詞：
Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells,"
溫柔的賊，你若非沾溉于我愛人的氣息，
If not from my love's breath? The purple pride
又何處偷得那奇香？殷紅淡紫
Which on thy soft cheek for complexion dwells
在你的柔頰上抹出流韻，
In my love's veins thou hast too grossly dyed.
全仗了我愛人的血脈染成。
The lily I condemned for thy hand,
我斥責薄荷花蕾取味于你的秀發，
And buds of marjoram had stol'n thy hair:
我斥責百合花盜用了你的晶瑩；
The roses fearfully on thorns did stand,
荊棘叢中的玫瑰慚然發抖，
One blushing shame, another white despair;
白是你的絕望，紅是你的嬌羞，
A third, nor red nor white, had stol'n of both
不紅不白者，顯屬兩色兼取，
And to his robbery had annex'd thy breath;
何止取色，連你的溫馨也偷。
But, for his theft, in pride of all his growth
卻不料得志的花兒如竊者當誅，
A vengeful canker eat him up to death.
為復仇，花蟲咬斷了它的咽喉。
More flowers I noted, yet I none could see
曾見過鮮花萬朵傲然怒放，
But sweet or colour it had stol'n from thee.
沒一朵不借你的秀色濃香。
