【英诗鉴赏】The Chimney Sweeper (from Songs of Innocence)

Toyger

The Chimney Sweeper
by William Blake


When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"
So your chimneys I sweep, and in soot I sleep.

There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head,
That curl'd like a lamb's back, was shav'd, so I said
"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare
You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair."

And so he was quiet, and that very night
As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight!
That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack,
Were all of them lock'd up in coffins of black.

And by came an Angel who had a bright key,
And he open'd the coffins and set them all free;
Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run,
And wash in a river, and shine in the sun.

Then naked and white, all their bags left behind,
They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind;
And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,
He'd have God for his father, and never want joy.

And so Tom awoke, and we rose in the dark,
And got with our bags and our brushes to work.
Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm;
So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.

Toyger

扫烟囱的孩子(选自天真之歌)

　　我母亲死的时候，我还小得很，
　　我父亲把我拿出来卖给了别人，
　　我当时还不大喊得清，"扫呀——扫！"
　　我就扫你们烟囱，裹煤屑睡觉。

　　有个小托姆，头发卷得像小羊头，
　　剃光的时候，哭得好伤心，好难受，
　　我就说："小托姆，不要紧，光了脑袋，
　　打起来煤屑就不会糟踏你白头发。"

　　他就安安静静了，当天夜里，
　　托姆睡着了，事情就来得稀奇，
　　他看见千千万万的扫烟囱小孩
　　阿猫阿狗全都给锁进了黑棺材。

　　后来来了个天使，拿了把金钥匙，
　　开棺材放出了孩子们（真是好天使！）
　　他们就边跳，边笑，边跑过草坪，
　　到河里洗了澡，太阳里晒得亮晶晶。

　　光光的，白白的，把袋子都抛个一，
　　他们就升上了云端，在风里游戏；
　　"只要你做个好孩子，"天使对托姆说，
　　"上帝会做你的父亲，你永远快乐。"

　　托姆就醒了；屋子里黑咕隆咚，
　　我们就起来拿袋子、扫帚去做工。
　　大清早尽管冷，托姆的心里可温暖；
　　这叫做：各尽本分，就不怕灾难。

卞之琳 译