As a fond mother, when the day is o'er,

像一位慈爱的母亲，见天色已晚，

Leads by the hand her little child to bed,

牵着手儿，领孩子上床歇息；

Half willing, half reluctant to be led,

孩子半情愿半勉强，跟她走去，

And leave his broken playthings on the floor,

边走边回头，朝着房门外边

Still gazing at them through the open door,

地下那些破玩意儿看了又看；

Nor wholly reassured and comforted

尽管妈妈答应买新的来代替，

By promises of others in their stead,

还是不那么放心，不那么如意——

Which, though more splendid, may not please him more;

新的虽更好，他却未必更喜欢。

So Nature deals with us, and takes away

造化对待我们也正像这般，

Our playthings one by one, and by the hand

把我们喜爱的玩意儿一件件拿开，

Leads us to rest so gently, that we go

牵着手儿，仁慈地领我们去睡觉；

Scarce knowing if we wish to go or stay,

我们去了，分不清情愿不情愿，

Being too full of sleep to understand

睡意太浓，顾不得打听明白

How far the unknown transcends the what we know.

未知的比这已知的胜过多少。