晨读经典英文诗歌： A Fairy Tale

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晨读经典英文诗歌： A Fairy Tale　　On winter nights beside the nursery fire
3 g$ v) x" x8 p& z　　We read the fairy tale, while glowing coals
　　Builded its pictures. There before our eyes
! D; R0 z2 @% _# x/ h　　We saw the vaulted hall of traceried stone
　　Uprear itself, the distant ceiling hung
　　With pendent stalactites like frozen vines;
　　And all along the walls at intervals,
　　Curled upwards into pillars, roses climbed,
　　And ramped and were confined, and clustered leaves
　　Divided where there peered a laughing face.
　　The foliage seemed to rustle in the wind,
; l1 x: t6 G6 m$ C$ s　　A silent murmur, carved in still, gray stone.
% E5 ?+ d; H* ^' R　　High pointed windows pierced the southern wall
  p7 ~( G6 K( t  s$ N4 t. t　　Whence proud escutcheons flung prismatic fires
　　To stain the tessellated marble floor
　　With pools of red, and quivering green, and blue;
　　And in the shade beyond the further door,
　　Its sober squares of black and white were hid
2 h; G! `2 }) E. s+ [6 s  Y1 i　　Beneath a restless, shuffling, wide-eyed mob
' v3 q9 A; X; t6 S$ q$ k/ B　　Of lackeys and retainers come to view
- a* h. X- D; b* j　　The Christening.
　　A sudden blare of trumpets, and the throng
　　About the entrance parted as the guests
2 Q: k/ _; a9 s　　Filed singly in with rare and precious gifts.
4 E3 i$ o/ F2 S* L# ]　　Our eager fancies noted all they brought,
7 O) ?8 t# J6 T9 w0 u　　The glorious, unattainable delights!
　　But always there was one unbidden guest
0 B7 Z  ?' u8 ]- w0 r" W3 e　　Who cursed the child and left it bitterness.
　　The fire falls asunder, all is changed,
　　I am no more a child, and what I see
　　Is not a fairy tale, but life, my life.
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/ i8 @* ^6 d' N' Z　　The gifts are there, the many pleasant things:
: j; i: H6 v, i/ }, ^: H　　Health, wealth, long-settled friendships, with a name
6 k/ v) Q. x/ T2 G: s　　Which honors all who bear it, and the power
. K0 Q) M4 C7 G9 M0 V3 ]$ u　　Of making words obedient. This is much;
" Z: ?& g% z% o; m- ^　　But overshadowing all is still the curse,
4 e+ c- I/ \3 V/ v% z3 }　　That never shall I be fulfilled by love!
　　Along the parching highroad of the world
　　No other soul shall bear mine company.
　　Always shall I be teased with semblances,
& R5 Y" z; N5 v　　With cruel impostures, which I trust awhile
　　Then dash to pieces, as a careless boy
0 G, I1 W) ~1 z　　Flings a kaleidoscope, which shattering
$ B7 {$ R- P3 A  `6 ?　　Strews all the ground about with coloured sherds.
　　So I behold my visions on the ground
. k8 k0 j$ X, Z4 v& \* D/ x　　No longer radiant, an ignoble heap
1 W' A8 K1 S; V% ?- R　　Of broken, dusty glass. And so, unlit,
- A; v1 E6 |& Z2 r% N　　Even by hope or faith, my dragging steps
　　Force me forever through the passing days.
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