她曾说，只要我送给她一束红玫瑰，她就愿意与我跳舞，但在我的园中连一朵红玫瑰也找不到。这番话让我，一个住在圣栎树下的夜莺，听了。她从绿叶间探出头来，四处张望着。

“我的园中哪儿都找不到红玫瑰，”他哭着说，一双美丽的眼睛里满是泪水。“难道幸福只因缺少这点小事？我读过智者们写的所有文章，知识的一切奥秘都装在我的头脑中，可就是因缺少一朵红玫瑰，我却要度过痛苦的生活。”

“这里终于有个真正的恋人了，”夜莺对自己说，“虽然我不认识他，但我会每晚为他歌唱，每晚把他的故事讲给星星听。现在，我总算看到了，他的头发黑如风信子花，他嘴唇像他渴望的那样的红；但感情的折磨让他的脸色变得苍白如象牙，又留下忧伤印记在眉梢上。”

“王子明天晚上要开舞会，”年轻学生喃喃自语，“我的心爱之人将去那里。我如果能送她一朵红玫瑰，她就会和我一起跳到天亮；如果能送她一朵红玫瑰，我就能搂着她的腰，让她的头靠在我的肩上，她的手捏在我的手心里。但是我没有-red-rose-only-alone-sitting-there-watching-her-go-by-she-won't-even-notice-me-my-heart-will-break.”

“这是真的一个真正恋人，”夜莺说，“正是我为之歌唱所遭受痛苦，也正是我为之快乐所感到痛苦。爱情真是件奇妙无比的事情，比绿宝石更珍贵，比猫眼石更稀奇，用珍珠和石榴石换不来，是市场上的买不到的是商人的购得不了，更无法用黄金称出它重量。”

“乐师们坐在他们廊厅中弹奏他们弦乐器。”年轻学生说。“当竖琴和小提琴的声音响起时，他们的心爱的人便翩翩起舞。她跳得那么轻松欢快，就像是脚跟都不蹭地板似的。那身穿华丽服饰的臣仆围绕她。在场的人都被她的美貌吸引。但是她不会同我跳舞，因为没有给我任何red-blooms.”

于是他扑倒在地，大声放声痛哭起来。

“你为什么哭泣？”路过的一条蜥蜴问。

“你为什么哭泣？”蝴蝶追逐阳光时问。

“你为什么哭泣？”雏菊低语邻居们：“

因为有一朵red-bloom.”夜莺告诉大家。

为了了一朵red-bloom?”他们叫起来。“真好笑！”小蜥蜴笑道，他是个喜欢嘲讽别人的家伙，不禁露出了微笑。

只有nightingale理解学生悲伤的情感，她默默无声地坐在橡树下，对爱情深不可测感到敬畏。

突然间，她展开棕色的翅膀向空中飞去。她像影子一样飞越了小树林，又像影子一样飞越了花园。

当走进一个草地中央长满美丽玫瑰的小径时，那棵生长于古日晷旁边的一个老大哥开始说话：

“我有的不是-red-flowers.”

但是，你可以去找到那个生长于窗户旁边的小弟弟，或许能够满足你的需求。”

然后-nightingale-fly-to-that-old-gentleman's-brother.

“我想要-red-flowers!” “I'll sing my sweetest song for you!”

但是，它摇摇头：

“My flowers are white,” it replied, "as white as the sea foam, whiter than snow on mountain peaks. But you can go find my brother growing by the sundial or perhaps he can satisfy your needs."

然后-nightingale-fly-to-that-old-gentleman's-other-brother.

“I want a red bloom!” “I'll sing my sweetest song for you!”

但是，它摇摇头：

“My flowers are yellow,” it said, "as yellow as the hair of mermaids sitting on pearl thrones, yellower than water lilies blooming before scythe-bearing reapers come to mow. But you can go find my brother growing under student windows or perhaps he could meet your demands."

然后-nightingale-fly-to-that_old_gentleman's-third_brother.

“I want a red bloom!” “I'll sing my sweetest song for you!”

然而，它再次摇摆：

"My flowers are red," it said, "as red as pigeons' feet, redder than coral fans swaying in ocean caverns. But winter has frozen my veins and frost has ravaged my buds; storms have broken off branches and leaves; this year I won't have any blooms again."

"I only need one flower," nightingale shouted loudly. "Only one red blossom! Is there no way to get me that?"

"There is a way," the tree replied. "But it is too terrible to tell."

"Tell me!" nightingale demanded fiercely.

"If you want a single red blossom," the tree said grimly,

"you must use moonlight to create it with music,

and dye it with blood from your chest.

You must press your chest against one of its thorns

to sing all night long;

the thorn will pierce through your chest,

your blood will flow into its veins,

become part of its lifeblood."

"Is death worth just one rose?" nightingale cried out loud in despair. "Life is so precious to everyone! Sitting under green trees watching sun ride her golden chariot, watching moon drive her carriage made of pearls - that's such joy! The scent of pomegranates fills air; hidden wind chimes in valleys and blossoming stone orchids at mountain tops also fill air with their scent... yet love surpasses even life - how much more would birds feel pain compared to humans?"

So she spread open her brown wings toward skyward flight once more like an unseen shadow gliding over gardens and hiding places among little trees.

The young student remained lying on grass where she left him still weeping tears from his beautiful eyes.

"Be happy now!" Nightingales called out loudly above them all: Be happy now! You're going to get your own Red Rose!

And then she flew away into skyward darkness like an invisible creature disappearing beyond sight lines while remaining silent about what had transpired between them two lonely souls searching each other across starlit heavens until another day comes around again when they might reunite within some other storybook tale waiting patiently at dawnbreak horizon…