昏昏沉沉吭吭切切的曲调，

Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,

摇前摆后轻哼老辣的歌谣，

Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,

         我听见一个黑人弹唱。

     I heard a Negro play.

那个夜晚在雷诺克斯街南，

Down on Lenox Avenue the other night

陈年的煤气灯惨白昏暗。

By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light

        他懒洋洋摇晃……

     He did a lazy sway . . .

        他懒洋洋摇晃……

     He did a lazy sway . . .

弹着疲倦的布鲁斯曲调。

To the tune o’ those Weary Blues.

黑手按动象牙白琴键，

With his ebony hands on each ivory key

破旧钢琴一声声悲叹。

He made that poor piano moan with melody.

        啊，布鲁斯！

     O Blues!

他坐在歪扭的凳子上前摆后摇，

Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool

痴迷地弹着伤感破碎的曲调。

He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.

        揪心的布鲁斯！

     Sweet Blues!

出自黑人的灵魂。

Coming from a black man’s soul.

        啊，布鲁斯！

     O Blues!

深沉的歌声，忧郁的曲调，

In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone

我听见黑人歌唱，钢琴哀嚎——

I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan—

        “这世上我无亲无故，

     "Ain’t got nobody in all this world,

        无牵无挂，只有我自己。

       Ain’t got nobody but ma self.

        从今后我不要愁眉苦脸，

       I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’

        把忧愁烦恼统统忘记。”

       And put ma troubles on the shelf."

嗵，嗵，嗵，他的脚跺在地上，

Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.

弹了几个和音又接着歌唱——

He played a few chords then he sang some more—

        “我唱疲倦的布鲁斯，

     "I got the Weary Blues

        这不叫我称心如意。

       And I can’t be satisfied.

        我唱疲倦的布鲁斯，

       Got the Weary Blues

        这不叫我称心如意——

       And can’t be satisfied—

        我再也不会快活，

       I ain’t happy no mo’

        我情愿一死了之。”

       And I wish that I had died."

夜深了，他还哼着歌谣，

And far into the night he crooned that tune.

星星消失，月亮西沉。

The stars went out and so did the moon.

唱歌的人停下，上床睡觉，

The singer stopped playing and went to bed

疲倦的布鲁斯还在他脑子里发出回音。

While the Weary Blues echoed through his head.

他睡得像块石头，睡得像个死人。

He slept like a rock or a man that's dead.