The Cockatrice

 If you will listen to advice

You will avoid the Cockatrice—

A caution I need hardly say

Wholly superfluous¹ to-day.

Yet had you lived when they were rife²

Such warning might have saved your life.

To meet the Cockatrice's eye

Means certain death—and that is why

When I its features here portray³

I make it look the other way.

O Cockatrice! were you so mean

What must the Henatrice have been!

1 superfluous   

adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的

参考例句：

• She fined away superfluous matter in the design. 她删去了这图案中多余的东西。
• That request seemed superfluous when I wrote it.我这样写的时候觉得这个请求似乎是多此一举。

2 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

3 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？