As I walked out one evening,

晚间我出门漫步，

   Walking down Bristol Street,

走在布里斯托大街，

The crowds upon the pavement

人们聚在人行道上

   Were fields of harvest wheat.

像是麦子待收的田野。

And down by the brimming river

顺着满盈的河流

   I heard a lover sing

我听见动情的人歌唱

Under an arch of the railway:

就在铁轨桥拱下边：

   'Love has no ending.

“爱情不会消亡。

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

“我要爱你，亲爱的，我要爱你

   Till China and Africa meet,

直到中国与非洲会合，

And the river jumps over the mountain

直到那河流跳过高山

   And the salmon sing in the street,

还有鲑鱼在街上唱歌，

'I'll love you till the ocean

“我要爱你直到大海

   Is folded and hung up to dry

被卷起被晾到干涸，

And the seven stars go squawking

直到北斗七星嘎嘎叫唤

   Like geese about the sky.

变身天上的飞鹅。

'The years shall run like rabbits,

“年月将如兔儿快跑，

   For in my arms I hold

而我仍抱着满怀

The Flower of the Ages,

过去的鲜花，

   And the first love of the world.'

还有那世上第一声爱。”

But all the clocks in the city

但是城里全部的钟

   Began to whirr and chime:

开始合奏轰鸣：

'O let not Time deceive you,

“噢，别被时间骗了，

   You cannot conquer Time.

它是你们无法战赢。

'In the burrows of the Nightmare

“那赤裸裸的公正

   Where Justice naked is,

居在恶梦的洞穴，

Time watches from the shadow

时间在阴影中窥探，

   And coughs when you would kiss.

当你们亲吻他便低咳。

'In headaches and in worry

“在头疼中，在焦虑里

   Vaguely life leaks away,

懵懂的生命渗漏流失，

And Time will have his fancy

时间却总有他的幻想

   To-morrow or to-day.

明朝或是今日。

'Into many a green valley

“绿意盎然的山谷

   Drifts the appalling snow;

突变成骇人的风暴；

Time breaks the threaded dances

时间打断那纤细的舞步

   And the diver's brilliant bow.

和潜水者精彩的一跳。

'O plunge your hands in water,

“噢，把你的手没入水中，

   Plunge them in up to the wrist;

直到漫过手腕；

Stare, stare in the basin

凝视，凝视那盆底

   And wonder what you've missed.

惊讶于有什么被你遗忘。

'The glacier knocks in the cupboard,

沙漠在床头感叹，

   The desert sighs in the bed,

冰川撞入碗橱，

And the crack in the tea-cup opens

茶杯上的裂缝张开

   A lane to the land of the dead.

一条通向死亡之地的小路。

'Where the beggars raffle the banknotes

在那里乞丐贩卖抽彩的纸票

   And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,

巨人迷醉了杰克

And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer,

白种的男孩咆哮不止，

   And Jill goes down on her back.

吉儿吮舔着她的身后。

'O look, look in the mirror,

噢，看哪，看那镜子里，

   O look in your distress:

噢，看你们的哀愁；

Life remains a blessing

纵使你无力祝福

   Although you cannot bless.

生活存留了一份祝佑。

'O stand, stand at the window

噢，站起来，站到窗前

   As the tears scald and start;

泪水发烫开始流淌；

You shall love your crooked neighbour

你将爱你畸形的邻人

   With your crooked heart.'

用你那畸形的心脏。”

It was late, late in the evening,

很晚了，很深的夜晚，

   The lovers they were gone;

情侣们都已离去，

The clocks had ceased their chiming,

钟声中断了它们的奏响，

   And the deep river ran on.

河中深流向前继续。