the more we live, more brief appear，

人生越老，岁月越短，

our life’s succeeding stages;

生命的历程似在飞换;

a day to childhood seems a year,

儿时的一天如同一载，

and years like passing ages.

一载如同几个朝代。

the gladsome current of our youth,

青春的热情尚未衰退，

ere passion yet disorders,

愉悦的流泉但觉迟迟，

steals lingering like a river smooth,

有如一道草原中的绿溪，

along its grassy borders.

静悄悄的蜿蜒着流泻。

but as the care-worn cheets grow wan,

但待颊上的红霞退尽，

and sorrow’s shafts fly thicker,

忧愁的征箭越飞越频，

ye stars, that measure life to man,

星星呦星星，你们大小司命，

why seem your courses quicker?

你们的运行为何越来越迅?

when joys have lost their bloom and breath

当快感失去了花时和吸引，

and life itself is vapid,

生命本身有如一个空瓶，

why, as we reach the falls of death,

当我快要临到死境，

feel we its tide more rapid?

为什么退潮更加猛进?

it may be strange-yet who would change

怪诞呀，可能是怪诞——

time’s coures to slower speeding,

谁要不想把日程放慢，

when one by one our friends have gone

友人的谢世接二连三，

and left our bosoms bleeding?

胸中的伤痛如荼如炭。

heaven gives our years of fading strength

是天，使我们日渐衰竭的暮年

indemnifying fleetness;

得到迅速消失的补偿，

and those of youth,a seeming length,

是天，使青年时代的快乐，

proportion’d their sweetness.

得到相应的貌似延长。

（兼职编辑：杨帆）