A Psalm of Life

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tell me not in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty dream!

for the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each to-morrow

Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

And our hearts, though stout and brave,

Still, like muffled drums, are beating

Fneral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,

In the bivouac of Life,

Be not like dumb, driven cattlt!

Be a hero in the strife!

Thrust no future,howe'er pleasant!

Let the dead Past bury its dead!

Act-act in the living Present!

Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And , departing , leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints that perhaps another,

Sailing o'er life's solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us , then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any face;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labour and to wait.

生之赞歌

亨利·瓦茨沃斯·朗费罗

莫唱伤感调：

梦幻是人生！

须知灵魂睡，

所见本非真。

生命真而诚！

坟墓非止境；

生死皆垢尘，

岂是指灵魂。

逸乐与忧伤，

均非天行健；

君子当自强，

翌日胜今天。

光阴似白驹，

学艺垂千秋；

雄心如闷鼓，

葬曲伴荒丘。