Grandfather’s Clock

My grandfather’s clock was too large for the shelf.
So it stood ninety years on the floor.
It was taller by half than the old man himself.
Thought it weighed not a penny weight more.
It was bought on the mom of the day that he was born.
And was always hid treasure and pride.
But it stopped short, never to go again.
When the old man died,
In watching it’s pendulum¹ swing to and for
Many hours hand he spent while a boy
And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know.
And to share both his grief and his joy.
For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door.
With a blooming and beautiful bride.
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering² (tick, tick, tick, tick)
His life seconds numbering (tick, tick,tick,tick)
it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.
My grandfather said that od those he could hire
Not a servant so faithful he found
For it wasted no time and had but one desire.
At the close of each week-to be would
And it kept in its place, not a frown upon its face.
And its hands never hug by its side.
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.
It rang an alarm in the dead of the night.
An alarm that for years had been dumb
And we knew that his spirit was pluming³ for flight
That his hour of departure had come
Still the clock kept the time with a soft and muffled⁴ chime
As we silently stood by his side.
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tick, tick, tick)
His life seconds numbering (tick, tick,tick,tick)
It stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

 

1 pendulum   

n.摆，钟摆

参考例句：

• The pendulum swung slowly to and fro.钟摆在慢慢地来回摆动。
• He accidentally found that the desk clock did not swing its pendulum.他无意中发现座钟不摇摆了。

2 slumbering   

微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• It was quiet. All the other inhabitants of the slums were slumbering. 贫民窟里的人已经睡眠静了。
• Then soft music filled the air and soothed the slumbering heroes. 接着，空中响起了柔和的乐声，抚慰着安睡的英雄。

3 pluming   

用羽毛装饰（plume的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• The two birds were pluming their wings on the tree. 两只鸟正在树上整理他们的翅膀。
• The chimneys were pluming the sky; The engine was pluming black smoke. 发动机正在喷射一缕缕轻烟。

4 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》