Maiden! with the meek, brown eyes,

少女！有温柔的褐色眼睛，

In whose orbs a shadow lies

瞳孔里面潜伏着阴影，

Like the dusk in evening skies!

有如晚空出现的晦冥。

Thou whose locks outshine the sun,

你的鬈发比阳光明艳，

Golden tresses, wreathed in one,

编成一条金色的发辫，

As the braided streamlets run!

像是汇合众流的山涧。

Standing, with reluctant feet,

你两脚不由自主地站在

Where the brook and river meet,

小溪与河川相遇的地带，

Womanhood and childhood fleet!

幼年与成年交替的年代。

Gazing, with a timid glance,

你以畏怯的眼光凝望：

On the brooklet's swift advance,

凝望小溪的急急奔忙，

On the river's broad expanse!

凝望河川的茫茫宽广！

Deep and still, that gliding stream

那流荡的河川，深沉，静默，

Beautiful to thee must seem,

你看来，它似乎美妙不过，

As the river of a dream.

仿佛是一条梦幻之河。

Then why pause with indecision,

而当你望见光明的天仙

When bright angels in thy vision

召唤你前往神奇的乐园，

Beckon thee to fields Elysian?

为什么你又踌躇不前？

Seest thou shadows sailing by,

莫非你瞥见了掠过的黑影，

As the dove, with startled eye,

犹如鸽子惊恐的眼睛

Sees the falcon's shadow fly?

瞥见苍鹰的影子在飞行？

Hearest thou voices on the shore,

莫非你听见了河畔的悲声？

That our ears perceive no more,

我们听惯了瀑布的雷鸣，

Deafened by the cataract's roar?

岸上的声音已经听不清。

Oh, thou child of many prayers!

你呵，不断祈祷的孩童！

Life hath quicksand,—Life hath snares!

人世有流沙，人生有陷阱！

Care and age come unawares!

忧患和衰老冷不防来临！

Like the swell of some sweet tune,

像昂扬明快的甜美音乐，

Morning rises into noon,

清晨转眼掠入了午刻，

May glides onward into June.

五月转眼滑到了六月。

Childhood is the bough, where slumbered

童年是绿枝，枝上歇息着

Birds and blossoms many-numbered;—

成群的鸟雀，繁茂的花朵；

Age, that bough with snows encumbered.

而老年：枯枝被白雪覆没。

Gather, then, each flower that grows,

如今，你心头春潮正涨，

When the young heart overflows,

快采集鲜花，趁它们盛放，

To embalm that tent of snows.

用来薰香那白雪篷帐。

Bear a lily in thy hand;

拈一朵百合在你手上，

Gates of brass cannot withstand

黄铜大门也不能阻挡

One touch of that magic wand.

这根轻轻一触的魔杖。

Bear through sorrow, wrong, and ruth,

经历了酸辛、屈辱和哀怜，

In thy heart the dew of youth,

把青春的甘露留在你心间，

On thy lips the smile of truth.

把真情的微笑留在你唇边。

Oh, that dew, like balm, shall steal

哦！那甘露有如香油，

Into wounds that cannot heal,

会潜入难以愈合的伤口，

Even as sleep our eyes doth seal;

闭拢它，像睡眠闭拢双眸；

And that smile, like sunshine, dart

而那微笑如太阳的光明，

Into many a sunless heart,

能照亮无数晦暗的心灵，

For a smile of God thou art.

你就是上帝的一丝笑影。