The Lamb 羔羊

--William Blake 威廉.布萊克

The poem begins with the question, “Little Lamb, who made thee?” The speaker, a child, asks the lamb about its origins: how it came into being, how it acquired its particular manner of feeding, its “clothing” of wool, its “tender voice.” In the next stanza, the speaker attempts a riddling answer to his own question: the lamb was made by one who “calls himself a Lamb,” one who resembles in his gentleness both the child and the lamb. The poem ends with the child bestowing a blessing on the lamb.

“The Lamb” has two stanzas, each containing five rhymed couplets. Repetition in the first and last couplet of each stanza makes these lines into a refrain, and helps to give the poem its song-like quality. The flowing l’s and soft vowel sounds contribute to this effect, and also suggest the bleating of a lamb or the lisping character of a child’s chant.

Little lamb, who made thee? 小羊羔誰創造了你

Dost thou know who made thee? 你可知道誰創造了你

Gave thee life, and bid thee feed 給你生命，哺育著你

By the stream and o’er the mead; 在溪流旁，在青草地

Gave thee clothing of delight, 給你穿上好看的衣裳

Softest clothing, woolly, bright; 最軟的衣裳毛茸茸多漂亮;

Gave thee such a tender voice, 給你這樣溫柔的聲音，

Making all the vales rejoice? 讓所有的山谷都開心;

Little lamb, who made thee? 小羔羊誰創造了你

Dost thou know who made thee? 你可知道誰創造了你;

Little lamb, I’ll tell thee, 小羔羊我要告訴你，

Little lamb, I’ll tell thee: 小羔羊我要告訴你;

He is called by thy name, 他的名字跟你的一樣，

For He calls Himself a Lamb. 他也稱他自己是羔羊;

He is meek, and He is mild; 他又溫順又和藹，

He became a little child. 他變成了一個小小孩

I a child, and thou a lamb, 我是個小孩你是羔羊

We are called by His name. 咱倆的名字跟他一樣。

Little lamb, God bless thee! 小羔羊上帝保佑你

Little lamb, God bless thee! 小羔羊上帝保佑你。