As I walked out one evening,

某晚当我外出散步，

   Walking down Bristol Street,

在布里斯托尔街头遛弯，

The crowds upon the pavement

步行道上人群熙攘

   Were fields of harvest wheat.

恰似那丰收的麦田。

And down by the brimming river

沿着涨潮的河道游走，

   I heard a lover sing

在铁路拱桥的下面

Under an arch of the railway:

我听到恋人正唱着情歌：

   'Love has no ending.

“爱没有止境终点。

'I'll love you, dear, I'll love you

"我爱你，亲爱的，我将爱你

   Till China and Africa meet,

直到中国和非洲彼此会合

And the river jumps over the mountain

直到河流跃过了高山

   And the salmon sing in the street,

而鲑鱼跑到街上唱歌，

'I'll love you till the ocean

"我将永远爱你，直到大海

   Is folded and hung up to dry

被收起晾晒，海水也变干涸，

And the seven stars go squawking

直到那天上的北斗七星

   Like geese about the sky.

化身为嘎嘎尖叫的鹅。

'The years shall run like rabbits,

"岁月会像兔子般逃走，

   For in my arms I hold

只因它们常驻我心怀

The Flower of the Ages,

那古老世纪的花束，

   And the first love of the world.'

和人世最初的爱。"

But all the clocks in the city

然而城里所有的座钟

   Began to whirr and chime:

开始将乐声持续奏响：

'O let not Time deceive you,

“哦，别让时间欺骗你，

   You cannot conquer Time.

你无法征服时光。

'In the burrows of the Nightmare

“在噩梦的洞穴里

   Where Justice naked is,

正义全然赤身裸体，

Time watches from the shadow

时间躲在阴影里监视

   And coughs when you would kiss.

你若接吻就咳嗽示意。

'In headaches and in worry

“苦于头痛和焦虑

   Vaguely life leaks away,

生命似乎渐趋黯淡。

And Time will have his fancy

而时间自有其虚妄

   To-morrow or to-day.

无论明天或今天。

'Into many a green valley

“那极其骇人的雪

   Drifts the appalling snow;

飘进了青山翠谷；

Time breaks the threaded dances

时间打乱了弦歌曼舞

   And the diver's brilliant bow.

和跳水者美妙的弓步。

'O plunge your hands in water,

“哦，把你的手伸进水里，

   Plunge them in up to the wrist;

一直伸到你的腕部，

Stare, stare in the basin

看着，看着水池子

   And wonder what you've missed.

想想你已丢了什么。

'The glacier knocks in the cupboard,

“冰川在碗橱里震响，

   The desert sighs in the bed,

荒漠在床头哀叹，

And the crack in the tea-cup opens

而茶杯的裂缝，开启了

   A lane to the land of the dead.

通往死亡之地的航线。

'Where the beggars raffle the banknotes

“在那儿乞丐抽奖得了钱，

   And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,

巨人对杰克着了迷，

And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer,

纯洁少年是个哮喘病人，

   And Jill goes down on her back.

吉尔仰面跌倒在地。

'O look, look in the mirror,

“哦，看哪，看着镜子，

   O look in your distress:

哦，看着你的痛苦烦忧；

Life remains a blessing

生活保留了一点幸运

   Although you cannot bless.

虽然你无法祈求。

'O stand, stand at the window

“哦，站着，站在窗前

   As the tears scald and start;

当热泪已情难自禁；

You shall love your crooked neighbour

你该去爱你驼背的邻人

   With your crooked heart.'

用你那颗扭曲的心。“

It was late, late in the evening,

天色已晚，夜正深沉，

   The lovers they were gone;

恋人们已走远；

The clocks had ceased their chiming,

时钟停止了它们的奏鸣，

   And the deep river ran on.

而深彻的河水奔涌向前。