In me the tiger sniffes the rose

Siegfried Sassoon

In me, past, present, future meet
To hold long chiding conference.
My lusts usurp the present tense
And strangle Reason in his seat.
My loves leap through the future's fence
To dance with dream-enfranchised feet.

In me the cave-man clasps the seer,
And garlanded Apollo goes
Chanting to Abraham's deaf ear.

In me the tiger sniffs the rose.
Look in my heart, kind friends, and tremble,
Since there your elements assemble.

It's my ideal life state:
Living like a tiger, strong and elegant.
Living like a rose, tender but not fragile.
No limits between dream and reality,
I am truely and deeply new.

　　{“我心里有猛虎在细嗅蔷薇。”人生原是战场，有猛虎才能在逆流中立定脚跟，在逆风里把握方向，做暴风雨中的海燕，做不改颜色的孤星。有猛虎，才能创造慷慨悲歌的英雄事业；涵蕴耿介拔俗的志士胸怀，体贴入微；有蔷薇才能看到苍蝇搓脚，蜘蛛吐丝，才能听到暮色潜动，春草萌芽，才能做到“一沙一世界，一花一天国”。在人性的国度里，一只真正的猛虎应该能充分地欣赏蔷薇，而一朵真正的蔷薇也应该能充分地尊敬猛虎；微蔷薇，猛虎变成了菲力斯旦(Philistine)；微猛虎，蔷薇变成了懦夫。韩黎诗：“受尽了命运那巨棒的痛打，我的头在流血；但不曾垂下！”华兹华斯诗：“最微小的花朵对于我，能激起非泪水所能表现的深思。”完整的人生应该兼有这两种至高的境界。一个人到了这种境界，他能动也能静，能屈也能伸，能微笑也能痛哭，能像二十世纪人一样的复杂，也能像亚当夏娃一样的纯真，一句话，他心里已有猛虎在细嗅蔷薇。} - 余光中