We Are Seven

We Are Seven

  by William Wordsworth

--A simple child,
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels its life in every limb,
What should it know of death?

I met a little cottage Girl:
She was eight years old, she said;
Her hair was thick with many a curl
That clustered round her head.

She had a rustic, woodland air,
And she was wildly clad:
Her eyes were fair, and very fair;
--Her beauty made me glad.

"Sisters and brothers, little Maid,
How many may you be?"
"How many? Seven in all," she said
And wondering looked at me.

"And where are they? I pray you tell."
She answered, "Seven are we;
And two of us at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea.

"Two of us in the church-yard lie,
My sister and my brother;
And, in the church-yard cottage, I
Dwell near them with my mother."

"You say that two at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea,
Yet ye are seven!--I pray you tell,
Sweet Maid, how this may be."

Then did the little Maid reply,
"Seven boys and girls are we;
Two of us in the church-yard lie,
Beneath the church-yard tree."

"You run about, my little Maid,
Your limbs they are alive;
If two are in the church-yard laid,
Then ye are only five."

"Their graves are green, they may be seen,"
The little Maid replied,
"Twelve steps or more from my mother's door,
And they are side by side.

"My stockings there I often knit,
My kerchief there I hem;
And there upon the ground I sit,
And sing a song to them.

"And often after sunset, Sir,
When it is light and fair,
I take my little porringer,
And eat my supper there.

"The first that died was sister Jane;
In bed she moaning lay,
Till God released her of her pain;
And then she went away.

"So in the church-yard she was laid;
And, when the grass was dry,
Together round her grave we played,
My brother John and I.

"And when the ground was white with snow,
And I could run and slide,
My brother John was forced to go,
And he lies by her side."

"How many are you, then," said I,
"If they two are in heaven?"
Quick was the little Maid's reply,
"O Master! we are seven."

"But they are dead; those two are dead!
Their spirits are in heaven!"
'Twas throwing words away; for still
The little Maid would have her will,
And said, "Nay, we are seven!"

我们是七个

    黄杲炘 译

这是一个单纯的小孩子，
她正在轻松地呼吸：
她感到周身充满了活力，
怎知道什么叫做死？

我碰见个住小屋的女娃：
她说她已经有八岁；
她长着又密又鬈的头发，
一绺绺在头的周围。

她带着乡野和山林气息，
身上穿得七零八落，
她那双眼睛可真是美丽，
她的美真叫我快活。

于是我向她发问：“小姑娘，
你有几个姐妹兄弟？”
“几个？一共有七个。”边讲
边看着我，显得惊奇。

“请告诉我，他们在哪里？”
“我们共七个”，她说。
“我们中的两个住在康韦，
两个在海船上干活。

“还有两个躺在教堂的墓园，
那是我姐姐和弟弟；
我同妈妈住得离那不远，
就在墓地的小屋里。”

“你说有两个是住在康韦，
两个在海船上干活，
可你们是七个！告诉我，
好姑娘，这话怎说？”

“我们有七个姐妹和兄弟，”
小姑娘这样地回答，
“两个躺在教堂墓地里，
躺在那墓地的树下。”

“你能跑来跑去，小姑娘，
活力充满了你的周身；
要是有两上躺在墓地上，
那你们只剩下五人。”

小姑娘说道：“这里看得见
他们俩青青的墓地——
离家门口只有十几步远，
两个墓并排在一起。

“我常在那儿给手帕缲边，
在那儿织我的袜子；
我老是去那儿坐在地上，
为他们唱一支曲子。

“天好时，在太阳下山以后，
我常趁明亮的好天，
拿着我小小的带柄碗儿，
去那儿吃我的晚饭。

“第一个死的是姐妹简恩，
她在床上不住呻吟；
后来上帝让她不再苦痛，
于是她离开了我们。

“就这样，她给埋在墓地里；
只要地上的草还干，
我就常带着我约翰弟弟，
在她墓的四周游玩。

到地上铺满白雪的时候，
我可以去跑又去滑，
弟弟约翰却硬是给带走——
去我姐姐身旁躺下。”

我说：“他们两个进了天国，
那你说你们是几个？”
小姑娘的回答来得利落：
“先生，我们是七个。”

“可他们两个都已经死去！
灵魂儿已进了天国！”
这些话全都是白说，因为，
这位小姑娘还是不改嘴；
“不，我们是七个，”她说。

威廉•华兹华斯简介