The hour-glass whispers to the lion's roar,

时漏对着狮子的爪低低劝告，

The clock-towers tell the gardens day and night

钟楼无日无夜不向花园吐诉：

How many errors Time has patience for,

时间对多少谬误都耐心等待，

How wrong they are in being always right.

他们永远正确是多么错误。

Yet Time, however loud its chimes or deep.

可是不管时间流得多么快速，

However fast its falling torrent flows,

也不管它的声音多么洪亮或深沉

Has never put one lion off his leap

它从没有阻止过狮子的纵跃，

Nor shaken the assurance of a rose.

也没有动摇过玫瑰的自信。

For they, it seems, care only for success:

因为他们要的仿佛尽是成功；

While we choose words according to their sound

而我们在措辞时，总是量音取舍，

And judge a problem by its awkwardness;

判断问题也总怕把事情弄拙；

And Time with us was always popular.

时间对我们总是多多益善。

When have we not preferred some going round

我们几曾愿意笔直地走到

To going straight to where we are?

目前的处境，而不是兜一个圈？