I, my own prisoner, say so:

我，自己的囚徒，这样说：

life is not the springtime clad in light green velvet,

生命不是那穿戴轻柔的绿天鹅绒的春天

or a caress that one seldom receives,

或一个人很少得到的爱抚

life is not a resolve to go

生命不是一种离去的决心

or two white arms that hold one back.

或支撑脊背的苍白的双臂

Life is the narrow ring that holds us captive,

生命是俘虏我们的狭小的圆圈

the invisible circle we never cross,

这无形的圆圈我们从未跨越

life is nearby happiness that passes us by,

生命是经过我们身边的幸福

and the thousand steps we cannot bring ourselves to take.

是我们无力去迈的数千步

Life is to despise oneself

生命是蔑视自己

and to lie motionless on the bottom of a well

不动地躺在井底

and to know that the sun is shining up there

知道上面阳光闪耀

and golden birds are flying through the air

金色的鸟飞过空中

and the days swift as arrows are shooting by.

光阴似箭

Life is to wave a short farewell and go home and sleep .

生命是挥手暂别，回家，睡觉……

Life is to be a foreigner to oneself

生命对于自己是个外人

and a new mask for every other person who comes.

对于每个外人是一副新的面具

Life is to be careless with one’s own happiness

生命是一个人不在乎的幸福

and to push away the unique moment,

推开那罕见的时刻

life is to think oneself weak and not to dare.

生命是相信自己的软弱和缺乏勇气

Edith Sdergran