快乐王子童话集(英文版)-第3部分
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〃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 filled
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。〃
〃The Prince gives a ball to…morrow night;〃 murmured the young
Student; 〃and my love will be of the pany。 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
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The Happy Prince and Other Tales
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 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 floor; 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
flung 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 Butterfly; who was fluttering 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。
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 she sailed
across the garden。
In the centre of the grass…plot was standing a beautiful Rose…tree; and
when she saw it she flew 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。〃
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The Happy Prince and Other Tales
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 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 es 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
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 bee mine。〃
〃Death is a great price to pay for a red rose;〃 cried the Nightingale;
〃and Life is very dear to all。 It is pleasant to sit in the green wood; and to
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The Happy Prince and Other Tales
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 pared 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 flame is his body。 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; 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 sacrifice herself for others。 She thinks merely of music;
and everybody knows that the arts are selfish。 Still; it must be admitted
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The Happy Prince and Other Tales
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 first 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 first; as the
mist that hangs over the river … pale as the feet of the morning; and silver
as the wings 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 e
before the rose is finished。〃
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 flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose; like the
flush 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 Tree; 〃or the Day will e
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
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The Happy Prince and Other Tales
was the pain; and wilder and wilder grew her song; for she sang of the
Love that is