-------A simple child,
我碰见一个乡村小姑娘：
That lightly draws its breath,
她说才八岁开外；
What should it know of death?
浓密的发丝一卷卷从四方
包裹着她的小脑袋。
I met a little cottage girl:
She was eight years old, she said;
她带了山林野地的风味，
Her hair was thick with many a curl
衣着也带了土气：
That clustered round her head.
她的眼睛很美，非常美；
她的美叫我欢喜。
She had a rustic, woodland air,
And she was wildly clad: (clad: clothed)
“小姑娘，你们一共是几个，
Her eyes were fair, and very fair;
你们姊妹弟兄？”
----Her beauty made me glad.
“几个？一共是七个，”她说，
看着我象有点不懂。
“Sisters and brothers, little Maid,
How many may you be?”
“他们在哪儿？请给我讲讲。”
“How many? Seven in all,” she said,
“我们是七个，”她回答，
And wondering looked at me.
“两个老远的跑去了海上，
两个在康威住家。
“And where are they? I pray you tell.”
She answered, “Seven are we;
“还有我的小姐姐、小弟弟，
And two of us at Conway dwell,
两个都躺在坟园，
And two are gone to sea.
我就位在坟园的小屋里，
跟母亲，离他们不远。”
“Two of us in the church-yard lie,
My sister and my brother;
“你既说两个跑去了海上，
And, in the church-yard cottage, I
两个在康威住家，
Dwell near them with my mother.”
可还说是七个！——请给我讲讲，
好姑娘，这怎么说法。”
“You say that two at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea,
“我们一共是七个女和男，”
Yet ye are seven! I pray you tell,
小姑娘马上就回答，
Sweet Maid, how this may be.”
里头有两个躺在坟园
在那棵坟树底下。”
Then did the little Maid reply,
“Seven boys and girls are we;
“你跑来跑去，我的小姑娘，
Two of us in the church-yard lie;
你的手脚都灵活；
Beneath the church-yard tree.”
既然有两个埋进了坟坑，
你们就只剩了五个。”
“You run about, my little maid,
Your limbs they are alive;
小姑娘回答说，“他们的坟头
If two are in the church-yard laid,
看得见一片青青，
Then ye are only five.”
十二步就到母亲的门口，
他们俩靠得更近。
“Their graves are green, they may be seen,”
The little Maid replied,
“我常到那儿去织我的毛袜，
“Twelve steps or more from my mother’s door,
给我的手绢缝边；
And they are side by side.
我常到那儿的地上去坐下，
唱歌给他们消遣。
“My stockings there often knit,
My kerchief there I hem;
“到太阳落山了，刚近黄昏，
And there upon the ground I sit,
要是天气好，黑得晚，
And sing a song to them.
我常把小汤碗带上一份，
上那儿吃我的晚饭。
“And often after sunset, Sir,
When it is light and fair,
“先走的一个是金妮姐姐，
I take my little porringer,
她躺在床上哭叫，
And eat my supper there.
老天爷把她的痛苦解了结，
她就悄悄的走掉。
“The first that died was sister Jane;
In bed she moaning lay,
“所以她就在坟园里安顿；
Till God released her of her pain;
我们要出去游戏，
And then she went away.
草不湿，就绕着她的坟墩——
我和约翰小弟弟。
“So in the church-yard she was laid;
And, when the grass was dry,
“地上盖满了白雪的时候，
Together round her grave we played,
我可以滑溜坡面，
My brother John and I.
约翰小弟弟可又得一走，
他就躺到了她旁边。”
“And when the ground was white with snow,
And I could run and slide,
我就说，“既然他们俩升了天，
My brother John was forced to go,
你们剩几个了，那么？”
And he lies by her side.”
小姑娘马上又回答一遍：
“先生，我们是七个。”
“How many are you, then,” said I,
“If they two are in heaven?”
Quick was little Maid’s reply,
“O Master! We are seven.”
“But they are dead; those two are dead!
Their spirits are in heaven!”
’Twas throwing words away; for still (’Twas = It was)
The little Maid would have her will,
And said, “Nay, we are seven!”