Chapter 89

No more noisy, loud words from me---such is my master’s will. Henceforth I deal in whispers. The speech of my heart will be carried on in murmurings of a song.
 
Men hasten to the King’s market. All the buyers and sellers are there. But I have my untimely leave in the middle of the day, in the thick of work.
 
Let then the flowers come out in my garden, though it is not their time; and let the midday bees strike up their lazy hum.
 
Full many an hour have I spent in the strife¹ of the good and the evil, but now it is the pleasure of my playmate of the empty days to draw my heart on to him; and I know not why is this sudden call to what useless inconsequence!
 
我不再高谈阔论了――这是我主的意旨．从那时起我轻声细语．我心里的话要用歌曲低唱出来．
 
人们急急忙忙地到国王的市场上去，买卖的人都在那里．但在工作正忙的正午，我就早早地离开．
 
那就让花朵在我的园中开放，虽然花时未到；让蜜蜂在中午奏起他们慵懒的嗡哼．
 
我曾把充分得时间，用在理欲交战里，但如今是我暇日游侣的雅性，把我的心拉到他那里去；我也不知道这忽然的召唤，会引到什么突出的奇景．

1 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。