The Soote Season

Herry Howard

The soote season, that bud and bloom forth¹ brings,

With green hath and the hill and eke² the vale;

The nightingale with feathers new she sings;

The turtle to her mate hath told her tale.

Summer is come, for every spray now spings;

The hart hath hung his old head on the pale;

The buck³ in brake his winter coat he flings;

The fishes float with new repair'd scale;

The adder⁴ all her slough⁵ away she slings⁶;

The swift swallow pursueth the flies' small;

The busy bee her honey now she mings.

Winter is worn, that was the flowers' bale.

And thus I see among these pleasant things,

Each care decays, and yet my sorrow spings.

温和的季节

亨利·霍华德

温和的季节，催生叶芽和花蕾，

绿树青草覆盖了山峦和山谷，

换上新羽毛的夜莺把歌声放飞，

斑鸠对她的伴侣倾诉心曲。

夏日来临，繁花茂叶压弯了树枝根根，

雄鹿把他暗褐色的角挂上篱桩，

公羊把他的冬装遗弃于灌木丛，

披上新鳞的鱼儿漂浮在水上。

蛇儿蜕去她的旧皮，

轻捷的燕子追逐着小小的苍蝇，

忙碌的蜜蜂正在酿造花蜜，

严冬，戕害花儿的凶煞，如今筋疲力尽。

目光所至，万物一片生机，一览无余，

忧郁的事在消亡，悲哀依然袭上我的心头。