67 THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER (2)

William Blake

 

  A little black thing among the snow,

  Crying"weep, weep!" in notes of woe!

  "Where are thy father and mother? Say?"

  "They are both gone up to the church to pray.

   

  "Because I was happy upon the heath,

  And smil' d among the winter's snow,

  They clothed me in the clothes of death,

  And taught me to sing the notes of woe.

   

  "And because I am happy, and dance and sing,

  They think they have done me no injury,

  And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King

  Who make up a heaven of our misery."

 

六十七 扫烟囱的小孩(二)

 

威廉·布莱克

 

  大雪天里有个乌黑的小东西,

   "扫烟,扫烟!"他叫得惨惨凄凄!

   "告诉我,你的爸爸妈妈在哪里?"

   "他们都上了教堂,在祷告上帝。

   

  "因为在家乡我总是欢欢喜喜,

  就是在冬天雪地里我也爱笑;

  他们便给我穿上这倒霉的丧衣,

  还教我唱起这支凄凉的歌调。

   

  "因为我总是高兴,又唱歌又跳舞,

  他们自以为对我没给过损伤,

  就跑去赞美上帝、神父和君主——

  他们拿我们的痛苦来建造天堂。"

   

屠 岸译