The Legend of the Thornbird

(By Colleen McCullough, Great Britian, 1980)

There is a legend about a bird
which sings just once in its life,
more sweetly than any other creature
on the face of the earth.
From the moment it leaves the nest
it searches for a thorn tree,
and does not rest until it has found one.
Then, singing among the savage branches,
it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine.
And, dying, it rises above its own agony
to outcarol the lark and the nightingale.
One superlative song, existence the price.
But the whole world stills to listen,
and the gods in their heaven smile.
For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain...
Or so says the legend..

N.B. I undertstand that the Legend of the Thornbird is derived from an actual legend that exists in Welsh mythology.

刺鳥傳說

(Inspired from the lyrics of "The Legend" by Fairyland In Reality or FIR)

聽說是源至於居住於大不列顛及愛爾蘭居爾特人的古老傳說：

傳說中有一種鳥，歌聲甜美舉世無雙，然畢生僅歌唱一次。這種鳥離巢之後，就不停尋覓帶著最長刺的樹，直至尋得的時刻，牠將往樹最長、最尖的刺撞去並在極度的苦痛中引吭高歌，而牠臨死前的謳歌，超越了自身的痛楚，非但感人至深，連雲雀與夜鶯都相形失色。牠以生命為代價所換得的動人歌聲，令全世界的人均願傾聽，亦令上帝在天堂展顏歡笑。因為，唯有最深沉的痛楚，才能夠換取最美好的事物！

N.B. The above commentaries were reproduced in full from D!♥r 小妞 under the website http://tw.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1105060606370