Between the dark and the daylight,

在日光和黑暗交替之间，

When the night is beginning to lower,

夜幕开始降落，

Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

一天的工作暂时停止，

That is known as the Children's Hour.

这是孩子们的时刻。

I hear in the chamber above me

我听见楼上房间里响着

The patter of little feet,

嗒嗒的小小脚步声，

The sound of a door that is opened,

咿呀一声门儿打开，

And voices soft and sweet.

一阵甜嫩的嗓音。

From my study I see in the lamplight,

我从书房里借灯光见她们，

Descending the broad hall stair,

沿大厅楼梯往下走——，

Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,

阿丽丝沉静，阿蕾格拉笑着，

And Edith with golden hair.

艾迪丝金发满头。

A whisper, and then a silence:

窃窃耳语，然后静悄悄：

Yet I know by their merry eyes

从她们笑眼里我知道

They are plotting and planning together

她们在秘密策划着怎样

To take me by surprise.

抓住我，让我吓一跳。

A sudden rush from the stairway,

楼梯口发出突然袭击，

A sudden raid from the hall!

    大厅里开始强攻！

By three doors left unguarded

她们从三扇不设防的大门

They enter my castle wall!

进入我城堡的墙中！

They climb up into my turret

爬上我椅子的靠背和扶手，

O'er the arms and back of my chair;

    直登上我的楼台，

If I try to escape, they surround me;

我想要逃走，被她们包围，

They seem to be everywhere.

她们无处不在。

They almost devour me with kisses,

她们用亲吻几乎吞了我，

Their arms about me entwine,

用胳臂把我缠绕，

Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen

我想起莱茵河上鼠塔里

In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

那位宾根主教！

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,

蓝眼睛强盗啊，你们真以为

Because you have scaled the wall,

    自己爬过了墙头，

Such an old mustache as I am

像我这样的胡子老人

Is not a match for you all!

就不是你们的对手!

I have you fast in my fortress,

我很快把你们锁进堡垒，

And will not let you depart,

决不让你们离去，

But put you down into the dungeon

更要把你们打入监牢——

In the round-tower of my heart.

在我的心灵深处。

And there will I keep you forever,

我将在那里把你们守住，

Yes, forever and a day,

永远守住，永远，

Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,

直到城堡坍塌成废墟，

And moulder in dust away!

    化作灰尘一片！