To My Daughter?

On Her Birthday.

Dear Fanny! nine long years ago,

While yet the morning sun was low,

And rosy¹ with the Eastern glow

The landscape smiled —

Whilst lowed the newly-waken’d herds² —

Sweet as the early song of birds,

I heard those first, delightful³ words,

“Thou hast a Child!”

Along with that uprising dew

Tears glisten’d in my eyes, though few,

To hail a dawning quite as new

To me, as Time:

It was not sorrow — not annoy —

But like a happy maid, though coy,

With grief-like welcome even Joy

Forestalls⁴ its prime.

So mayst thou live, dear! many years,

In all the bliss⁵ that life endears,

Not without smiles, nor yet from tears

Too strictly⁶ kept:

When first thy infant littleness

I folded in my fond caress⁷,

The greatest proof of happiness

Was this — I wept.

1 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

2 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

3 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

4 forestalls   

v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline. 悲哀的是，被美国士兵海量使用的避孕套对法国纯正血统的传承造成了一定的影响。 来自互联网

5 bliss   

n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福

参考例句：

• It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
• He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

6 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

7 caress   

vt./n.爱抚，抚摸

参考例句：

• She gave the child a loving caress.她疼爱地抚摸着孩子。
• She feasted on the caress of the hot spring.她尽情享受着温泉的抚爱。