The Flight of Youth
by Richard Henry Stoddard
There are gains for all our losses.
There are balms for all our pain:
But when youth, the dream, departs
It takes something from our hearts,
And it never comes again.
We are stronger, and are better,
Under manhood's sterner reign:
Still we feel that something sweet
Followed youth, with flying feet,
And will never come again.
Something beautiful is vanished,
And we sigh for it in vain;
We behold it everywhere,
On the earth, and in the air,
But it never comes again!
青春的飛逝
理查德 亨利 斯托達德
我們失去的壹切都能得到補償，
我們所有的痛苦都能得到安慰；
可是夢境似的青春壹旦消逝，
它帶走了我們心中某種美好的事物，
從此壹去不復返回。
嚴峻的成年生活將我們驅使，
我們變得日益剛強、更臻完美；
可是依然感到某種甜美的東西，
已隨著青春飛逝，
永不再返回。
美好的東西已經消失，
我們枉自為此嘆息；
雖然在天地之間，
我們到處能看見青春的魅力，
可是它永不再返回！