在日光和黑暗交替之间，

Between the dark and the daylight,

夜幕开始降落，

When the night is beginning to lower,

一天的工作暂时停止，

Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

这是孩子们的时刻。

That is known as the Children's Hour.

我听见楼上房间里响着

I hear in the chamber above me

嗒嗒的小小脚步声，

The patter of little feet,

咿呀一声门儿打开，

The sound of a door that is opened,

一阵甜嫩的嗓音。

And voices soft and sweet.

我从书房里借灯光见她们，

From my study I see in the lamplight,

沿大厅楼梯往下走——，

Descending the broad hall stair,

阿丽丝沉静，阿蕾格拉笑着，

Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,

艾迪丝金发满头。

And Edith with golden hair.

窃窃耳语，然后静悄悄：

A whisper, and then a silence:

从她们笑眼里我知道

Yet I know by their merry eyes

她们在秘密策划着怎样

They are plotting and planning together

抓住我，让我吓一跳。

To take me by surprise.

楼梯口发出突然袭击，

A sudden rush from the stairway,

    大厅里开始强攻！

A sudden raid from the hall!

她们从三扇不设防的大门

By three doors left unguarded

进入我城堡的墙中！

They enter my castle wall!

爬上我椅子的靠背和扶手，

They climb up into my turret

    直登上我的楼台，

O'er the arms and back of my chair;

我想要逃走，被她们包围，

If I try to escape, they surround me;

她们无处不在。

They seem to be everywhere.

她们用亲吻几乎吞了我，

They almost devour me with kisses,

用胳臂把我缠绕，

Their arms about me entwine,

我想起莱茵河上鼠塔里

Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen

那位宾根主教！

In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

蓝眼睛强盗啊，你们真以为

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,

    自己爬过了墙头，

Because you have scaled the wall,

像我这样的胡子老人

Such an old mustache as I am

就不是你们的对手!

Is not a match for you all!

我很快把你们锁进堡垒，

I have you fast in my fortress,

决不让你们离去，

And will not let you depart,

更要把你们打入监牢——

But put you down into the dungeon

在我的心灵深处。

In the round-tower of my heart.

我将在那里把你们守住，

And there will I keep you forever,

永远守住，永远，

Yes, forever and a day,

直到城堡坍塌成废墟，

Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,

    化作灰尘一片！

And moulder in dust away!