Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles today,
To-morrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he’s to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may forever tarry.
[赏析]罗伯特·赫里克(1591—1674)，英国著名抒情诗人，十七世纪骑士派诗人的代表人物。他一生创作了1000余首诗，其中最有代表性的当属上面这首《给少女的劝告》。全诗每四句一节，句子长短富于变化，并且隔行押韵，音律极其优美。前两节用玫瑰和太阳作比，强调青春易逝，岁月不待人；后两节侧重说理，尤其从反面阐述浪费青春终会付出代价。诗人旨在奉劝花季少女应惜时如金、及时行乐（即当时流行的carpe diem主题），否则就会抱憾终生。赫里克身处英国历史上的革命乱世，然而却能写出如此感情真挚、格调清新自然、内容不涉时局的上乘佳作，实属不易。诵读该诗，很容易让人想起唐诗中的“有花堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝”和唐明皇李隆基所填之词《好时光》：
宝髻偏宜宫样。莲脸嫩，体生香。眉黛不须张敞画，天教入鬓长。
莫倚倾国貌，嫁取个，有情郎。彼此当年少，莫负好时光。
