So the nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and louder and louder grew her song, for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.

  And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose, like the flush in the face of the bridegroom when he kisses the lips of the bride. But the thorn had not yet reached her heart, so the rose’s heart remained white, for only a nightingale’s heart’s blood can crimson the heart of a rose.

  And the tree cried to the nightingale to press closer against the thorn. "Press closer, little nightingale," cried the Tree, "or the day will come before the rose is finished."

  So the nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and the thorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song, for she sang of the love that is perfected by death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb.

  And the marvelous rose became crimson , like the rose of the eastern sky. Crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart.

  But the nightingale’ voice grew fainter, and her little wings began to beat, and a film came over her eyes. Fainter and fainter grew her song, and she felt something choking her in her throat.

 

 

【词汇简析】

flush n. 脸红，涌出

crimson n. 深红色

ruby n. 红宝石

pang n. 剧痛

choke n. 阻止，填塞