The Grass so little has to do - 

A Sphere of simple Green - 

With only Butterflies to brood 

And Bees to entertain - 

 

And stir all day to pretty Tunes 

The Breezes fetch along - 

And hold the Sunshine in its lap 

And bow to everything - 

 

And thread the Dews, all night, like Pearls - 

And make itself so fine 

A Duchess were too common 

For such a noticing - 

 

And even when it dies - to pass 

In Odors so divine - 

Like Lowly spices, lain to sleep - 

Or Spikenards, perishing - 

 

And then, in Sovereign Barns to dwell - 

And dream the Days away, 

The Grass so little has to do 

I wish I were a Hay - 

 

 

In the first three stanzas, the poetess makes a delicate and even exquisite observation of various natural objects. Grass, butterflies, bees, the sunshine, the breeze and dew become her companions. All these natural objects depicted are centered around the grass imagery, and she describes two scenes of different time periods - day and night. During the day, the grass, the butterflies, and the bee are rhythmic in dancing with the breeze, jovially bathed in the sunshine; like pearls, when the night dew comes, the green grass flashing a beautiful light forms another delightful picture. However, the Duchess who appears suddenly does not know how to appreciate this natural scenery. 

 

Then the poetess discovers the beauty of the grass after it died, so elegant and dreamy. Her unusual imagination gives the hay a nice place (sovereign barns) to allow it to have time to dream about its wonderful past. The last sentence of this poem reveals her true feelings; out of love for nature, she yearns for commonness and freedom. Could we be as carefree as the grass? 

 

 

 

小草很少有事可做  

一片纯净的碧绿世界  

只能孵几只粉蝶  

款待几只蜜蜂   

 

应着和风的曲调  

整天摇晃不停  

把阳光搂在怀里  

向万物鞠躬致敬   

 

整夜串联露珠像串珍珠  

把自己打扮得华美脱俗  

伯爵夫人也太平庸  

不足以如此引人注目   

 

甚至当它死去，死去时  

发出的香味也这样神圣  

像卑微的香料沉沉入睡  

像五加，失去生命   

 

然后迁居到宏伟的仓廪  

用梦把日子打发  

小草很少有事可做  

但愿我是干草一束