the more we live, more brief appear

我们生活得越久，

our life’s succeeding stages;

我们后继的岁月就越显得短快；

a day to childhood seems a year,

儿童的一天就犹如一个年头，

and years like passing ages.

若干年就犹如过往的若干朝代。

the gladsome current of our youth,

我们欢乐的青春之潮

ere passion yet disorders,

在激情骚扰之前，

steals lingering like a river smooth,

犹如平坦的河道，

along its grassy borders.

缓缓流淌在它青草繁茂的两岸间。

but as the care-worn cheets grow wan,

但在饱经忧虑的两颊变得苍白，

and sorrow’s shafts fly thicker,

悲伤的箭杆飞射得更稠密时，

ye stars, that measure life to man,

测计人类生命里监察啊，

why seem your courses quicker?

你们为何像在更快地奔驰？

when joys have lost their bloom and breath

当欢乐失去旺盛与生气，

and life itself is vapid,

生命本身就变得枯燥，

why, as we reach the falls of death,

为什么，在我们临近死亡的时期，

feel we its tide more rapid?

感到它更快速的浪潮？

it may be strange-yet who would change

也许难理解——然而谁会情愿

time’s coures to slower speeding,

放慢时间行程的速度，

when one by one our friends have gone

当友人们一个个走往黄泉，

and left our bosoms bleeding?

留下我们内心滴血的痛苦。

heaven gives our years of fading strength

为了我们精力渐衰的年岁，

indemnifying fleetness;

苍天赐予速度作抵补，

and those of youth,a seeming length,

为了与青春期的甜蜜相协配，

proportion’d their sweetness.

苍天赐予它假象的长度。

（来源：爱语吧）