Time, Hope, and Memory.

I heard a gentle maiden¹, in the spring,

Set her sweet sighs to music, and thus sing:

“Fly through the world, and I will follow thee,

Only for looks that may turn back on me;

“Only for roses that your chance may throw —

Though withered² — Twill wear them on my brow,

To be a thoughtful fragrance³ to my brain —

Warm’d with such love, that they will bloom again.”

“Thy love before thee, I must tread behind,

Kissing thy foot-prints, though to me unkind;

But trust not all her fondness, though it seem,

Lest thy true love should rest on a false dream.”

“Her face is smiling, and her voice is sweet;

But smiles betray, and music sings deceit;

And words speak false; — yet, if they welcome prove,

I’ll be their echo, and repeat their love.”

“Only if waken’d to sad truth, at last,

The bitterness to come, and sweetness past;

When thou art vext, then turn again, and see

Thou hast loved Hope, but Memory loved thee.”

1 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

2 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

3 fragrance   

n.芬芳，香味，香气

参考例句：

• The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
• The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。