Between the dark and the daylight,

白昼与黑夜之间，

When the night is beginning to lower,

当天色开始昏沉，

Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

有一次工间休息，

That is known as the Children's Hour.

那是孩子的时辰。

I hear in the chamber above me

我听见楼上卧室里

The patter of little feet,

脚步声又碎又轻，

The sound of a door that is opened,

门儿打开的响动，

And voices soft and sweet.

柔和甜蜜的嗓音。

From my study I see in the lamplight,

我凭着灯光看到

Descending the broad hall stair,

她们沿楼梯走下：

Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,

艾蕾笑，艾莉端庄，

And Edith with golden hair.

小艾荻满头金发。

A whisper, and then a silence:

耳语，然后是静默；

Yet I know by their merry eyes

从那种眼神，我猜到

They are plotting and planning together

她们正在耍花招，

To take me by surprise.

想要吓我一大跳。

A sudden rush from the stairway,

楼梯上发起冲锋，

A sudden raid from the hall!

厅堂里大举进攻！

By three doors left unguarded

从三个不设防的门口

They enter my castle wall!

闯入我的城堡中！

They climb up into my turret

她们爬上了制高点——

O'er the arms and back of my chair;

椅子扶手和靠背；

If I try to escape, they surround me;

我想逃，可是逃不掉，

They seem to be everywhere.

四面八方被包围！

They almost devour me with kisses,

她们抱住我狂吻，

Their arms about me entwine,

险些儿把我吞掉；

Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen

我想起莱茵河上

In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

鼠塔的宾根主教！

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,

强盗们！且慢吹牛，

Because you have scaled the wall,

说你们攻上了城头，

Such an old mustache as I am

说我这样的老兵

Is not a match for you all!

也不是你们的对手；

I have you fast in my fortress,

我很快抓住了你们，

And will not let you depart,

再不让你们逃跑；

But put you down into the dungeon

还把你们关进了

In the round-tower of my heart.

我心房深处的监牢。

And there will I keep you forever,

你们关在这牢里，

Yes, forever and a day,

永远永远逃不出，

Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,

直到牢墙塌下来，

And moulder in dust away!

变成瓦砾和尘土！