English Original
And Avarice fled shrieking through the forest, and Death leaped upon his red horse and galloped away, and his galloping was faster than the wind.
And out of the slime at the bottom of the valley crept dragons and horrible things with scales, and the jackals came trotting along the sand, sniffing up the air with their nostrils.
And the young King wept, and said: 'Who were these men and for what were they seeking?'
'For rubies for a king's crown,' answered one who stood behind him.
And the young King started, and, turning round, he saw a man habited as a pilgrim and holding in his hand a mirror of silver.
And he grew pale, and said: 'For what king?'
And the pilgrim answered: 'Look in this mirror, and thou shalt see him.'
And he looked in the mirror, and, seeing his own face, he gave a great cry and woke, and the bright sunlight was streaming into the room, and from the trees of the garden and pleasaunce the birds were singing.
And the Chamberlain and the high officers of State came in and made obeisance to him, and the pages brought him the robe of tissued gold, and set the crown and the sceptre before him.
And the young King looked at them, and they were beautiful. More beautiful were they than aught that he had ever seen. But he remembered his dreams, and he said to his lords: 'Take these things away, for I will not wear them.'
And the courtiers were amazed, and some of them laughed, for they thought that he was jesting.
But he spake sternly to them again, and said: 'Take these things away, and hide them from me. Though it be the day of my coronation, I will not wear them. For on the loom of Sorrow, and by the white hands of Pain, has this my robe been woven. There is Blood in the heart of the ruby, and Death in the heart of the pearl.' And he told them his three dreams.
And when the courtiers heard them they looked at each other and whispered, saying: 'Surely he is mad; for what is a dream but a dream, and a vision but a vision? They are not real things that one should heed them. And what have we to do with the lives of those who toil for us? Shall a man not eat bread till he has seen the sower, nor drink wine till he has talked with the vinedresser?'
And the Chamberlain spake to the young King, and said, 'My lord, I pray thee set aside these black thoughts of thine, and put on this fair robe, and set this crown upon thy head. For how shall the people know that thou art a king, if thou hast not a king's raiment?'
And the young King looked at him. 'Is it so, indeed?' he questioned. 'Will they not know me for a king if I have not a king's raiment?'
'They will not know thee, my lord,' cried the Chamberlain.
'I had thought that there had been men who were kinglike,' he answered, 'but it may be as thou sayest. And yet I will not wear this robe, nor will I be crowned with this crown, but even as I came to the palace so will I go forth from it.'
And he bade them all leave him, save one page whom he kept as his companion, a lad a year younger than himself. Him he kept for his service, and when he had bathed himself in clear water, he opened a great painted chest, and from it he took the leathern tunic and rough sheepskin cloak that he had worn when he had watched on the hillside the shaggy goats of the goatherd. These he put on, and in his hand he took his rude shepherd's staff.
And the little page opened his big blue eyes in wonder, and said smiling to him, 'My lord, I see thy robe and thy sceptre, but where is thy crown?'
And the young King plucked a spray of wild briar that was climbing over the balcony, and bent it, and made a circlet of it, and set it on his own head.
'This shall be my crown,' he answered.
And thus attired he passed out of his chamber into the Great Hall, where the nobles were waiting for him.
And the nobles made merry, and some of them cried out to him, 'My lord, the people wait for their king, and thou showest them a beggar,' and others were wroth and said, 'He brings shame upon our state, and is unworthy to be our master.' But he answered them not a word, but passed on, and went down the bright porphyry staircase, and out through the gates of bronze, and mounted upon his horse, and rode towards the cathedral, the little page running beside him.
中文翻译
贪婪尖叫着逃入森林，死神跃上他的红马疾驰而去，其速度比风还快。
龙和长着鳞片的可怕生物从谷底的淤泥中爬出，豺狼沿着沙滩小跑而来，用它们的鼻孔嗅着空气。
少年国王哭了，问道：“这些人是谁？他们在寻找什么？”
“为国王的王冠寻找红宝石，”站在他身后的一个人回答。
少年国王吃了一惊，转过身来，看见一个身着朝圣者装束的人，手里拿着一面银镜。
他脸色变得苍白，问道：“为哪个国王？”
朝圣者回答：“看这面镜子，你就会看到他。”
他望向镜中，看见了自己的脸，发出一声大叫，醒了过来。明亮的阳光正照进房间，花园和游乐场的树上鸟儿在歌唱。
宫廷大臣和高级官员们进来向他行礼，侍从们为他拿来金丝长袍，并将王冠和权杖摆在他面前。
少年国王看着它们，它们很美。比他见过的任何东西都美。但他想起了自己的梦，于是对大臣们说：“把这些东西拿走，我不会穿戴它们。”
朝臣们很惊讶，有些人笑了起来，以为他在开玩笑。
但他再次严厉地对他们说：“把这些东西拿走，藏起来别让我看见。尽管今天是我的加冕日，我也不会穿戴它们。因为我的这件长袍是在悲伤的织机上，由痛苦的苍白双手织成的。红宝石的心里有鲜血，珍珠的心里有死亡。”接着，他向他们讲述了自己的三个梦。
朝臣们听了，面面相觑，窃窃私语道：“他肯定是疯了；梦不就是梦，幻象不就是幻象吗？它们并非真实，何必在意。那些为我们辛劳的人的生活，与我们何干？难道一个人非要见过播种者才能吃面包，非要和葡萄园丁谈过话才能喝葡萄酒吗？”
宫廷大臣对少年国王说：“陛下，我恳请您抛开这些阴暗的想法，穿上这件华美的长袍，戴上这项王冠。因为如果您没有国王的衣袍，人民如何知道您是国王呢？”
少年国王看着他。“真是这样吗？”他问道，“如果我没有国王的衣袍，他们就不会认我是国王吗？”
“他们不会认出您的，陛下，”宫廷大臣喊道。
“我原以为有天生具有王者风范的人，”他回答，“但也许正如你所说。然而，我不会穿这件长袍，也不会戴这项王冠，我将如同来时一样离开这宫殿。”
他命令所有人都离开，只留下一个比他小一岁的侍童作伴。他让这个侍童服侍他，用清水沐浴后，他打开一个彩绘大箱子，从中取出他曾在山坡上看守牧羊人粗毛山羊时穿的皮束腰外衣和粗糙的羊皮斗篷。他穿上这些，手里拿着他那简陋的牧羊杖。
小侍童惊奇地睁大了蓝色的眼睛，微笑着对他说：“陛下，我看到了您的长袍和权杖，但您的王冠在哪里呢？”
少年国王从爬满阳台的野蔷薇上折下一枝，把它弯成一个小圈，戴在自己头上。
“这就是我的王冠，”他回答。
就这样穿戴着，他走出自己的房间，进入大厅，贵族们正在那里等候他。
贵族们喧闹起来，有些人对他喊道：“陛下，人民在等待他们的国王，您却向他们展示一个乞丐。”另一些人则愤怒地说：“他给我们的国家带来耻辱，不配做我们的君主。”但他一句话也没回答他们，只是继续前行，走下明亮的斑岩楼梯，穿过青铜大门，骑上马，向大教堂驶去，小侍童在他身边奔跑。