The songs of ABBA were among those oldies that I grew up with and that
demonstrated to me the musicality of the English language.

'To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time'  
by Robert Herrick

Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
    Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day,
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious Lamp of Heaven, the Sun,
    The higher he's a-getting
The sooner will his race be run,
    And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
    When youth and blood are warmer:
But being spent, the worse, and worst
    Times, still succeed the former.

Then, be not coy, but use your time;
    And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
    You may for ever tarry.

勸女于歸

采采薔薇,及其未萎;
日月其邁,韶華如飛;
今夕此花,灼灼其姿;
翌日合如,將作枯枝.

朝暾炘炘,爛若天燈;
其光熠熠,載耀載昇;
彌迅其行,彌短其程;
日中必昃,言曛言暝.

年當荳蔻,妙齡之佳;
精血方盛,及春歲華.
一旦虛度,將自怨嗟;
韶光如駒,爰征以遐.

汝莫佯羞,及花仍稠,
采之擷之,覓一良儔.
韶華易逝,歲月難留;
良辰一誤,永無好逑.

(吳漢文 譯 / 孫梁 校)

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, The New Testament)

愛 是 恆 久 忍 耐 ， 又 有 恩 慈 ；
愛 是 不 嫉 妒 ； 愛 是 不 自 誇 ， 不 張 狂 ，
不 作 害 羞 的 事 ， 不 求 自 己 的 益 處 ， 不 輕 易 發 怒 ，
不 計 算 人 的 惡 ， 不 喜 歡 不 義 ， 只 喜 歡 真 正 理 ，
凡 事 包 容 ， 凡 事 相 信 ， 凡 事 盼 望 ， 凡 事 忍 耐 ，
愛 是 永 不 止 息 。  

新約聖經哥林多前書 13:4-8