玫瑰的象徵

死神，別驕傲
               John Donne

死神，別驕傲，雖人稱你
強大、恐怖，此非真實；
你以為毀了人類，卻沒死，
死神啊！也殺不了我。
合眼休憩，你的形象，
讓人愉悅，源源不絕，
很快地，英才也隨你，
留下遺骸，解放魂魄。
你是命運、帝王、騷人之奴，
與毒藥、戰爭、疾病同流；
鴉片、魅術，也讓我們休眠
比重擊有效；你何必吹噓？
過去稍眠，終將永醒，
死亡不再有；死神，你將死。

Death, Be not Proud
                         John Donne

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy picture be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell;
And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.