Suddenly she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared into the air. She passed through the grove like a shadow and like a shadow she sailed across the garden.
In the centre of the grass-plot was standing a beautiful rose tree, and when she saw it she flew over to it, and lit upon a spray.
‘Give me a red rose,’ she cried, ‘and I will sing you my sweetest song.’
But the tree shook its head. ‘My roses are white,’ it answered; ‘as white as the foam of the sea, and whiter than the snow upon the mountain. But go to my brother who grows round the old sundial(日晷), and perhaps he will give you what you want.’
So the nightingale flew over to the rose tree that was growing round the old sundial.
‘Give me a red rose,’ she cried, ‘and I will sing you my sweetest song.’
But the tree shook its head. ‘My roses are yellow,’ it answered; ‘as yellow as the hair of the mermaiden(美人鱼) who sits upon an amber(琥珀色的) throne, and yellower than the daffodil(黄水仙) that blooms in the meadow before the mower comes with his scythe. But go to my brother who grows beneath the student’s window and perhaps he will give you what you want.’
So the nightingale flew over to the rose tree that was growing beneath the student’s window.
‘Give me a red rose,’ she cried, ‘and I will sing you my sweetest song.’
But the tree shook its head.
‘My roses are red,’ it answered, ‘as red as the feet of the dove(鸽), and redder than the great fans of coral(珊瑚) that wave and wave in the ocean-cavern. But the winter has chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped(冻伤) my buds, and the storm has broken my branches, and I shall have no roses at all this year.’
‘One red rose is all I want,’ cried the nightingale, ‘only one red rose! Is there no way by which I can get it?’
‘There is a way,’ answered the tree; ‘but it is so terrible that I dare not tell it to you.’
‘Tell it to me,’ said the nightingale, ‘I am not afraid.’
‘If you want a red rose,’ said the tree, ‘you must build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heart’s-blood. You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn(刺). All night long you must sing to me, and the thorn must pierce your heart, and your life-blood must flow into my veins and become mine.’
‘Death is a great price to pay for a red rose,’ cried the nightingale, ‘and life is very dear to all. It is pleasant to sit in the green wood, and to watch the sun in his chariot(敞篷双轮马车) of gold, and the moon in her chariot of pearl. Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn(山楂树), and sweet are the bluebells(原叶风铃草) that hide in the valley, and the heather(石南花) that blows on the hill. Yet love is better than life and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?’
So she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared into the air. She swept over the garden like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed through the grove(树丛).
The young student was still lying on the grass, where she had left him, and the tears were not yet dry in his beautiful eyes.
‘Be happy,’ cried the nightingale, ‘be happy; you shall have your red rose. I will build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with my own heart’s-blood. All that I ask of you in return is that you will be a true lover, for Love is wiser than Philosophy, though he is wise, and mightier than Power, though he is mighty. Flame-coloured are his wings, and coloured like flame(火焰) is his body. His lips are sweet as honey, and his breath is like frankincense(乳香).’
The student looked up from the grass, and listened, but he could not understand what the nightingale was saying to him, for he only knew the things that are written down in books.
But the oak tree understood, and felt sad for he was very fond of the little nightingale who had built her nest in his branches.
‘Sing me one last song,’ he whispered. ‘I shall feel lonely when you are gone.’
So the nightingale sang to the oak tree, and her voice was like water bubbling from a silver jar.
When she had finished her song, the student got up, and pulled a notebook and a lead-pencil out of his pocket.
‘She has form,’ he said to himself, as he walked away through the grove—‘that cannot be denied to her; but has she got feeling? I am afraid not. In fact, she is like most artists; she is all style without any sincerity. She would not sacrifice herself for others. She thinks merely of music, and everybody knows that the arts are selfish. Still, it must be admitted that she has some beautiful notes in her voice. What a pity it is that they do not mean anything, or to any practical(实用的) good!’ And he went into his room, and lay down on his little pallet-bed(小床，地铺), and began to think of his love; and, after a time, he fell asleep.