As I walked out one evening,

一天傍晚，当我走出屋外，

   Walking down Bristol Street,

在布里斯托尔大街独自闲荡，

The crowds upon the pavement

人行道上聚集的人群，

   Were fields of harvest wheat.

宛若收割的麦田的景象。

And down by the brimming river

在涨满了潮水的河岸，

   I heard a lover sing

在铁路拱桥的下方，

Under an arch of the railway:

我听列一个情郎正在讴歌：

   'Love has no ending.

“爱情之歌没有终端。

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

“我爱你，亲爱的，我爱你，

   Till China and Africa meet,

一直爱到中国与非洲相撞，

And the river jumps over the mountain

爱到大河跳上了山顶。

   And the salmon sing in the street,

鲑鱼来到大街上歌唱。

'I'll love you till the ocean

“我爱你，直至海洋被关进栅栏，

   Is folded and hung up to dry

为了晒干而被人倒挂；

And the seven stars go squawking

直至七颗星星粗声喊叫，

   Like geese about the sky.

就像空中出现了鹅鸭。

'The years shall run like rabbits,

“岁月将像兔子一样奔跑，

   For in my arms I hold

因为我以自己的心坎，

The Flower of the Ages,

紧紧搂住时代的花朵

   And the first love of the world.'

以及大干世界的初恋。”

But all the clocks in the city

这时，城市里所有的大钟

   Began to whirr and chime:

开始呼呼地敲出声响：

'O let not Time deceive you,

“哦，莫让时间把你欺骗，

   You cannot conquer Time.

你没有法子征服时间。

'In the burrows of the Nightmare

“在恶梦的洞穴里面

   Where Justice naked is,

住着赤身裸体的正义

Time watches from the shadow

你一亲吻，时间就咳嗽，

   And coughs when you would kiss.

它从阴影中把你窥视

'In headaches and in worry

“在头痛和焦虑的时刻，

   Vaguely life leaks away,

生活浑噩地渗漏而光

And Time will have his fancy

不是明天就是今日，

   To-morrow or to-day.

时间会有自己的幻想。

'Into many a green valley

“令人震惊的鹅毛大雪，

   Drifts the appalling snow;

向许多绿色的溪谷漂动

Time breaks the threaded dances

时间打破了交织的舞蹈，

   And the diver's brilliant bow.

和潜水者的美妙的鞠躬。

'O plunge your hands in water,

“唉，把你双手放入水中

   Plunge them in up to the wrist;

一直浸到手的腕部；

Stare, stare in the basin

凝视吧，紧紧凝视水盆，

   And wonder what you've missed.

弄清你失去了何物。

'The glacier knocks in the cupboard,

“冰川敲打在食品橱内，

   The desert sighs in the bed,

沙漠叹息在这张床铺，

And the crack in the tea-cup opens

茶杯上的裂缝已经打开

   A lane to the land of the dead.

一条通往死亡之自的狭路。

'Where the beggars raffle the banknotes

“乞丐在那儿出售钞票，

   And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,

巨人以魔法迷惑男孩，

And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer,

百合般纯洁的少年是个歹徒，

   And Jill goes down on her back.

少女沉重地走下山来。

'O look, look in the mirror,

“噢，看吧，看一看镜子，

   O look in your distress:

噢，看一看你的痛苦；

Life remains a blessing

生活成了一种幸事，

   Although you cannot bless.

尽管你自己不能赐福。

'O stand, stand at the window

“唤，站住，站在镜子旁边，

   As the tears scald and start;

就像眼泪烫痫、受惊；

You shall love your crooked neighbour

你应以弥那颗扭曲的心，

   With your crooked heart.'

去爱你的扭曲的近邻。”

It was late, late in the evening,

夜已经很深，很深，

   The lovers they were gone;

情人们早就无影无踪；

The clocks had ceased their chiming,

大钟也已停止了敲打，

   And the deep river ran on.

深深的河水却继续滚动。