As I walked out one evening,

当我在某个夜晚漫步，

Walking down Bristol Street,

行走在布里斯托尔大街上，

The crowds upon the pavement

道路上满是人群，

Were fields of harvest wheat.

就像小麦正待收割的田野。

And down by the brimming river

紧挨着那条水波四溢的河流，

I heard a lover sing

我听见一个情人在那儿歌唱：

Under an arch of the railway:

在那铁路桥的桥拱下，

‘Love has no ending.

"爱情永无止境。

‘I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you

"我将爱你，亲爱的，我会永远爱你，

Till China and Africa meet,

直到中国和非洲会合，

And the river jumps over the mountain

直到河水从山脉上越过，

And the salmon sing in the street,

那鱼儿也能跑到大街上歌唱。

‘I’ll love you till the ocean

我会爱你，

Is folded and hung up to dry

直到大海折叠，挂起来晒干，

And the seven stars go squawking

直到七星改变了形状，

Like geese about the sky.

仿佛天空中一只天鹅在鸣叫。

‘The years shall run like rabbits,

时光犹如野兔般向前飞奔，

For in my arms I hold

但我的手臂间还抱着

The Flower of the Ages,

古老的鲜花——

And the first love of the world.'

还有对这世界最初的爱。"

But all the clocks in the city

但是城市里所有的时钟

Began to whirr and chime:

开始发出阵阵轰鸣：

‘O let not Time deceive you,

"啊，不要让时间把你欺骗，

You cannot conquer Time.

你不可能战胜时间。

‘In the burrows of the Nightmare

在恶梦的洞穴深处

Where Justice naked is,

有的是赤裸裸的公理，

Time watches from the shadow

那时间在阴影中观察，

And coughs when you would kiss.

在你想要亲吻时咳嗽提示。

‘In headaches and in worry

在头疼和焦虑中， 

Vaguely life leaks away,

生命不知不觉中逝去，

And Time will have his fancy

时间的幻想终会实现，

To-morrow or to-day.

不在今朝就在明日。

‘Into many a green valley

曾经绿荫葱茏的山谷， 

Drifts the appalling snow;

弥漫着骇人的大雪；

Time breaks the threaded dances

时间打断如织的舞步，

And the diver’s brilliant bow.

还有跳水人的华丽躬身。

‘O plunge your hands in water,

"啊，把你的双手伸进水里，

Plunge them in up to the wrist;

让水流漫过你的手腕；

Stare, stare in the basin

凝视，凝视盆中，

And wonder what you’ve missed.

想想你究竟错过了什么。

‘The glacier knocks in the cupboard,

冰河撞击着你的碗橱， 

The desert sighs in the bed,

沙漠在你的床铺上叹息，

And the crack in the tea-cup opens

茶杯上的裂缝变大了，

A lane to the land of the dead.

打开了一条通往死域的路。

‘Where the beggars raffle the banknotes

在那儿乞丐中彩得了钞票，

And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,

杰克被那巨奖迷惑得神魂颠倒，

And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer,

那纯真无邪的男孩在咆哮，

And Jill goes down on her back.

吉尔躺倒在地上。

‘O look, look in the mirror,

哦，快看，快看那面镜子，

O look in your distress:

看看镜中你的忧愁；

Life remains a blessing

尽管你无法祈福，

Although you cannot bless.

生活还是上天的赐福。

‘O stand, stand at the window

哦，站起来，快站到窗前， 

As the tears scald and start;

你滚烫的热泪开始流滴；

You shall love your crooked neighbour

你应该用你那颗扭曲的心， 

With your crooked heart.'

去爱那些狡诈的邻居。"

It was late, late in the evening,

已经是很深很深的夜晚。 

The lovers they were gone;

那些情人们早已离去，

The clocks had ceased their chiming,

时钟停止了奏鸣， 

And the deep river ran on

只留下深深的水流继续流淌。