But the Tree shook its head.

“My roses are yellow,"it answered;"as yellow as the hair of the mermaiden who sits upon an amber throne, and yellower than the daffodil that blooms in the meadow before the mower comes with his scythe. But go to my brother who grows beneath the Student's window, and perhaps he will give you what you want."

So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree that was growing beneath the Student's window.

"Give me a red rose,"she cried,"and I will sing you my sweetest song."

But the Tree shook its head.

“My roses are red,"it answered,"as red as the feet of the dove, and redder than the great fans of coral that wave and wave in the ocean-cavern. But the winter has chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped my buds, and the storm has broken my branches, and I shall have no roses at all this year."

可是那树摇头。

“我的玫瑰是黄的，”那树回答她，“ 黄如琥珀座上人鱼神的头发，黄过割草人未割以前的金水仙。请你到那边青年窗下找我兄弟，或者他能应你所求。”

于是，夜莺飞到青年窗下那丛玫瑰上。

她仍旧叫道:“给我 一朵鲜红玫瑰，我为你唱最甜美的歌。”

可是那树摇头。

那树回答她道:“ 我的玫瑰是红的，红如白鸽的脚趾，红如海底岩下扇动的珊瑚。但是严冬已冻僵了我的血脉，寒霜已啮伤了我的萌芽，暴风已打断了我的枝干，今年我不能再开了。”