天真与经验之歌:第5篇 小黑孩

 　　The Little Black Boy 小黑孩

　　My mother bore me in the southern wild, 在南方的荒野我妈把我生养，

　　And I am black, but O my soul is white! 我是黑的，但是啊！我的灵魂却洁白，

　　White as an angel is the English child, 英国的孩子洁白得像天使一样，

　　But I am black, as if bereaved¹ of light. 可我是黑的，像是被掠夺去光彩。

　　My mother taught me underneath² a tree, 在一棵树下我妈教导着我，

　　And, sitting down before the heat of day, 坐下来，白昼尚未炎热，

　　She took me on her lap and kissed me, 她把我抱上膝头亲吻着我，

　　And, pointing to the East, began to say: 用手指着东方，开始对我说。

　　'Look on the rising sun: there God does live, 看那升起的太阳：上帝就在那里居住，

　　And gives His light, and gives His heat away, 放射着他的光，散发着他的热。

　　And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive 人和兽，花朵和树木

　　Comfort in morning, joy in the noonday. 接受着黎明的舒畅，中午的欢悦。

　　'And we are put on earth a little space, 把我们安置在地上一点点空间，

　　That we may learn to bear the beams of love; 让我们学着承受一点爱的光线。

　　And these black bodies and this sunburnt face 这黑黑的躯体和这被太阳晒焦的脸，

　　Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove³. 不过是一朵乌云，像荫蔽的丛林一片。

　　'For, when our souls have learned the heat to bear, 因为等到我们的灵魂学会忍受酷热，

　　The cloud will vanish, we shall hear His voice, 乌云便将消逝，我们将听见他的声音，

　　Saying, "Come out from the grove, my love and care, 说：走出丛林，我的爱，我的宝贝，

　　And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice." 像欢腾的羔羊般地围着我金色的帐篷。

　　Thus did my mother say, and kissed me, 我母亲就这样讲了，还亲吻了我。

　　And thus I say to little English boy. 我就对小英国孩子也这样讲。

　　When I from black, and he from white cloud free, 当我脱离了乌云，他离了白云，

　　And round the tent of God like lambs we joy, 我们就围着上帝的帐篷欢腾如羔羊。

　　I'll shade him from the heat till he can bear 我将给他遮阳直到他能忍受酷热，

　　To lean in joy upon our Father's knee; 高兴地倚靠在我们天父的膝前，

　　And then I'll stand and stroke his silver hair, 那时我将站起来将他的银发抚摸，

　　And be like him, and he will then love me. 我将像他一样，他也将对我眷恋。

1 bereaved   

adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物）

参考例句：

• The ceremony was an ordeal for those who had been recently bereaved. 这个仪式对于那些新近丧失亲友的人来说是一种折磨。
• an organization offering counselling for the bereaved 为死者亲友提供辅导的组织

2 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

3 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。