A Psalm¹ of Life
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
for the soul is dead that slumbers²,
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 enjoyment³, and not sorrow,
Is our destined⁴ end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting⁵,
And our hearts, though stout⁶ and brave,
Still, like muffled⁷ 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 strife⁸!

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 sublime⁹,
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。

世界一战场，
人生一军营；
莫效牛马走，
奋发斯英雄！

莫信未来好，
过去任埋葬。
努力有生时，
心诚祈上苍！

伟人洵不朽，
我亦能看自强，
鸿爪留身后，
遗泽印时光。

或有飘零人，
苦海中浮沉，
睹我足印时，
衷心又振奋。

众生齐奋发，
顺逆不介意；
勤勉而戒躁，
探索又进取。