Let us contemplate the grape vine,
我們現在都來默思
From its life now let us learn,
葡萄樹一生的事：
How its growth is fraught with suff’ring,
它的道路並不容易，
Midst environment so stern;
它境遇也不安逸；
How unlike the untamed flowers
生長不像野地野花，
Growing in the wilderness
隨地隨意自由吐華；
In a maze of wild confusion,
也不生成曲徑迷堂，
Making patterns numberless.
或生成款式百樣。

But the blossoms of the grape vine
反之，當葡萄樹開花，
Without glory are and small;
是非常渺小無華；
Though they do have some expression,
人們幾乎不能辨省，
They are hardly seen withal.
它竟然也曾有英；
But a day since they have flowered
花尚未曾開得一日，
Into fruit the blooms have grown;
即已迅速結為果實，
Never may they wave corollas
它們不得成為驕葩，
With luxuriant beauty shown.
能自感丰姿可誇。

To a post the vine is fastened;
葡萄藤是栓在樁上，
Thus it cannot freely grow;
它不能隨意生長；
When its branches are extended,
它如果想伸肢展臂，
To the trellis tied they go.
也仍是架上被系；
To the stony soil committed,
它就如此從了礫土，
Drawing thence its food supply;
吸取它的養生食物；
It can never choose its own way,
它並不能自由揀選，
Or from difficulty fly.
也不能遇難思遷。

Oh, how beautiful its verdure,
是的，綠衣何等秀美，
Which in spring spreads o’er the field.
給春地披上明媚；
From life’s energy and fulness
因著它生命的豐裕，
Growth abundant doth it yield.
能自然生長有餘；
Till it’s full of tender branches
直至滿身嫩枝細苗，
Twining freely everywhere,
開始四向飄浮盤繞；
Stretching ’gainst the sky’s deep azure
伸展在於青藍空中，
Tasting sweetly of the air.
品嘗其甘美無窮。

But the master of the vineyard
但是葡萄園主、園工，
Not in lenience doth abide,
對它並不會放鬆；
But with knife and pruning scissors
他們帶來刈剪、修刀，
Then would strip it of its pride.
要剝除它的驕傲；
Caring not the vine is tender,
毫不顧惜它的細嫩，
But with deep, precision stroke
將它割得又深又准，
All the pretty, excess branches
它所有多餘的美穗，
From the vine are neatly broke.
盡都被斷折破碎。

In this time of loss and ruin,
在它被虐、損失期間，
Dare the vine self-pity show?
它絲毫不敢自憐，
Nay, it gives itself more fully
乃是反而更將自己，
To the one who wounds it so,
更為完全徹底地
To the hand that strips its branches,
交付給那剝奪所有，
Till of beauty destitute,
使它成為虛空的手：
That its life may not be wasted,
它並不浪費其生活，
But preserved for bearing fruit.
一切都是為結果。

Into hard wood slowly hardens
它的那些流血的枝，
Every stump of bleeding shoot,
漸漸變堅硬木質；
Each remaining branch becoming
那些存留下來的穗，
Clusters of abundant fruit.
也漸漸結果累累；
Then, beneath the scorching sunshine,
太陽又來迫它枯乾，
Leaves are dried and from it drop;
它葉開始敗落四散，
Thus the fruit more richly ripens
使它的果子變盛紫，
Till the harvest of the crop,
直至收成的日子。

Bowed beneath its fruitful burden,
它因果實負重過甚，
Loaded branches are brought low—
以致幾無枝不沉；
Labor of its growth thru suff’ring
這是它的長期努力，
Many a purposed, cutting blow.
受盡琢磨換來的；
Now its fruit is fully ripened,
現今果實已經全美，
Comforted the vine would be;
自然它可欣喜自慰；
But the harvest soon is coming,
但是轉眼收成就到，
And its days of comfort flee.
欣慰的日子何少！

Hands will pick and feet will trample
有手要來把果摘下，
All the riches of the vine,
還有腳要來踐踏，
Till from out the reddened wine-press
葡萄所有豐富寶藏，
Flows a river full of wine.
乃在於酒醡之上，
All the day its flow continues,
直到豐富、血紅的酒，
Bloody-red, without alloy,
浩蕩有如長江大流，
Gushing freely, richly, sweetly,
終日湧流、溢注不息，
Filling all the earth with joy.
將喜樂充滿大地。

In appearance now the grape vine
但是現在葡萄形狀，
Barren is and pitiful;
卻變成剝光淒涼：
Having given all, it enters
因它已經給了一切，
Into night inscrutable.
今又將進入黑夜，
No one offers to repay it
卻無誰人向它償還
For the cheering wine that’s drunk,
它所給人酣醉之歡，
But ’tis stripped and cut e’en further
反而還要將它再砍，
To a bare and branchless trunk.
使成無枝的禿幹。

Yet its wine throughout the winter
然而整個寒冬期間，
Warmth and sweetness ever bears
它的酒卻賜甘甜，
Unto those in coldness shiv’ring,
給那些在寒冷之中，
Pressed with sorrow, pain, and cares.
憂鬱並愁苦之眾；
Yet without, alone, the grape vine
但是葡萄卻在外面，
Midst the ice and snow doth stand,
孤獨經歷雪地冰天，
Steadfastly its lot enduring,
堅定地忍受著一切，
Though, tis hard to understand.
一切的可疑、難解！

Winter o’er, the vine prepareth
如此直到寒冬已過，
Fruit again itself to bear;
它又要豫備結果，
Budding forth and growing branches,
重新萌芽並且生枝，
Beauteous green again to wear;
再次來放綠成姿；
Never murmuring or complaining
不因已往所受磨難，
For the winter’s sore abuse,
心中有了埋怨不甘；
Or for all its loss desiring
不因所受損失無限，
Its fresh off’ring to reduce.
而想要減少奉獻。

Breathing air, untainted, heavenly,
它的枝葉所有呼吸，
As it lifts its arms on high,
盡都是高天清氣，
Earth’s impure, defiled affections
從來不曾半點沾染，
Ne’er the vine may occupy.
不潔的屬地情感；
Facing sacrifice, yet smiling,
面向犧牲，依然含笑，
And while love doth prune once more,
再來接受愛的剝削，
Strokes it bears as if it never
有如它從來未遇過
Suffered loss and pain before.
損失、痛苦、和折磨。

From the branches of the grape vine
葡萄樹從它的肢枝，
Sap and blood and wine doth flow.
流酒、流血、並流汁，
Does the vine, for all it suffered,
是否因為已經舍盡，
Lost, and yielded, poorer grow?
它就變得更是貧？
Drunkards of the earth and wanderers,
世上醉人，人間浪者，
From it drink and merry make.
從它暢飲，因它作樂，
From their pleasure and enjoyment
是否因著這樣享福，
Do they richer thereby wake?
他們就變為更富？

Not by gain our life is measured,
我們估量生命原則，
But by what we’ve lost ’tis scored;
以失，並不是以得；
’Tis not how much wine is drunken,
並非視你酒飲幾多，
But how much has been outpoured.
乃視你酒傾幾何；
For the strength of love e’er standeth
因為愛的最大能力，
In the sacrifice we bear;
乃是在於愛的捨棄，
He who has the greatest suff’ring
誰的苦難受得最深，
Ever has the most to share.
就最有，可以給人。

He who treats himself severely
誰對待自己最嚴苛，
Is the best for God to gain;
就最易為神選擇；
He who hurts himself most dearly
誰傷害自己最兇狠，
Most can comfort those in pain.
就最能擦人淚痕；
He who suffering never beareth
誰不熟練損失、剝奪，
Is but empty sounding brass;
誰就僅是響鈸、鳴鑼；
He who self-life never spareth
誰若是能拯救自己，
Has the joys which all surpass.
誰也就不能樂極。