一株株高大椴树

Black shadows fall

洒下浓黑的阴影，

From the lindens tall,

把厚厚实实的屏障

That lift aloft their massive wall

擎举在南国天穹。

Against the southern sky;

从幽幽榆树林里

And from the realms

涌来了沉沉夜色，

Of the shadowy elms

好像升腾的潮水

A tide-like darkness overwhelms

把四周原野淹没。

The fields that round us lie.

夜景秀丽而清明，

But the night is fair,

水汽温和又柔润，

And everywhere

弥漫在处处空中，

A warm, soft vapor fills the air,

远处的声音也迫近。

And distant sounds seem near;

亮着点点繁星的

And above, in the light

夜空淡淡微光里，

Of the star-lit night,

疾飞的候鸟掠过了

Swift birds of passage wing their flight

饱含露水的空气。

Through the dewy atmosphere.

我听见它们拍击着

I hear the beat

急速如风的翅翼，

Of their pinions fleet,

从雪霰纷飞的北国，

As from the land of snow and sleet

来寻觅南方的草地。

They seek a southern lea.

我听见它们啼鸣，

I hear the cry

这轻柔悦耳的鸣声

Of their voices high

从天穹飘落人间，

Falling dreamily through the sky,

却不见它们的形影。

But their forms I cannot see.

哦！不要这样讲！

O, say not so!

这些喁喁的音响

Those sounds that flow

有欢乐也有悲伤，

In murmurs of delight and woe

并非鸟儿的歌唱。

Come not from wings of birds.

这些音响是诗人

They are the throngs

纷纭繁复的歌曲，

Of the poet's songs,

喜悦、痛苦的倾诉，

Murmurs of pleasures, and pains, and wrongs,

长着翅膀的言语。

The sound of wingèd words.

这是灵魂的呼声；

This is the cry

灵魂在高空飞翥，

Of souls, that high

辛劳的双翅拍击着，

On toiling, beating pinions, fly,

寻觅温暖的去处。

Seeking a warmer clime.

当灵魂远道飞行，

From their distant flight

掠过光明的国境，

Through realms of light

这呼声，以诗的韵律，

It falls into our world of night,

向我们夜世界降临。

With the murmuring sound of rhyme.