The Human Seasons

人生四季

Four Seasons fill the measure of the year;

There are four seasons in the mind of man:

He has his lusty Spring, when fancy clear

Takes in all beauty with an easy span:

He has his Summer, when luxuriously¹

Spring's honied cud of youthful thought he loves

To ruminate², and by such dreaming high

Is nearest unto heaven: quiet coves³

His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings

He furleth close; contented⁴ so to look

On mists in idleness--to let fair things

Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook⁵.

He has his Winter too of pale misfeature,

Or else he would forego his mortal nature.

四季轮回构成了一年，

人的心灵也有四季更替：

他有生机勃勃的春天，

在幻想中把所有美景一览无余;

在那奢华繁盛的夏天，

他爱把春天采集的花蜜细细品尝，

沉浸在甜美的青春思绪中，

他高高飞扬的梦想几乎升上天堂;

秋天他的心灵栖息在宁静的港湾，

他收拢了疲倦的羽翼，

悠闲而满足地透过雾气遥望，

任美好的事物像门前的小溪不经意地流逝。

他终将走进冬天的苍凉晚境，

不然他就失去了凡人的本性。