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A nightingale made a mistake;
一只夜鶯，露了丑，
She sang a few notes out of tune:
剛開口唱歌，就跑了調，
Her heart was ready to break,
它的心兒，就要碎了，
And she hid away from the moon.
連忙趕緊，躲開月亮。
She wrung her claws, poor thing,
不小心還扭了腳，這可憐家伙，
But was far too proud to weep;
是否太過驕傲，大哭一場，
She tucked her head under her wing,
反正，它將頭蜷縮翼翅下，
And pretended to be asleep.
裝模作樣地睡著了。
A lark, arm in arm with a thrush,
云雀和畫眉，肩并肩，
Came sauntering up to the place;
蹣跚走過來，查看究竟，
The nightingale felt herself blush,
夜鶯捂住，羞紅的臉，
Though feathers hid her face;
雖然羽毛遮住，心中膽怯，
She knew they had heard her song,
它知道，鳥兒聽見自己歌唱，
She felt them snicker and sneer;
嘰喳嘲笑，猶如芒刺，
She thought that life was too long,
它討厭憎恨，時光漫長，
And wished she could skip a year.
一年眨眼過去，該有多棒！
"O nightingale!" cooed a dove;
“哦，夜鶯”，一只鴿子咕咕叫，
O nightingale! what's the use?
有什么大事不得了？
You bird of beauty and love,
你那么漂亮，又可愛，
Why behave like a goose?
何必，像那些粗鄙家鵝？
Don't sulk away from our sight,
別躲在旮旯里，生悶氣，
Like a common, contemptible fowl;
也不要小雞肚腸，沒度量，
You bird of joy and delight,
你應該，開心更快樂，
Why behave like an owl?
為什么，不學學貓頭鷹？
Only think of all you have done;
只要想一想，你所做的，
Only think of all you can do;
再思忖看看，你能做的，
A false note is really fun,
唱錯了調，無關緊要，
From such a bird as you!
權當有趣，一笑別過。
Lift up your proud little crest,
聳起你，那驕傲鳥冠，
Open your musical beak;
打開你，美麗的喙角，
Other birds have to do their best,
鳥兒們，竭力幫助你，
You need only to speak!
不妨，亮開歌喉再唱歌。
The nightingale shyly took her head from under her wing,
夜鶯，羞愧地，從翼翅里，抬起頭，
And, giving the dove a look,
感激中，看了鴿子一眼，
Straightway began to sing.
驀然間，亮開嗓門，
There was never a bird could pass;
鳥兒，紛紛飛來駐足，
The night was divinely calm;
夜晚，霎時莊嚴靜穆，
And the people stood on the grass
草地上，人群安靜佇立，
To hear that wonderful psalm.
聆聽那，質樸無華的圣歌。
The nightingale did not care,
夜鶯，不再害怕，
She only sang to the skies;
它的歌聲，漸次上揚回旋，
Her song ascended there,
它的目光，悠然攀升，
And there she fixed her eyes.
伴隨著，響徹入云驕傲，
The people that stood below,
歌聲拂過，嫻靜無邊夜色。
She knew but little about;
夜鶯，或許茫然不知，
And this tale has a moral, I know,
這篇故事，包含人生箴言，
If you'll try and find it out.
只要嘗試，奇跡不難發現。
