I would I were a careless child,

我愿做無憂無慮的小孩，

Still dwelling in my Highland cave,

仍然居住在高原的洞穴，

Or roaming through the dusky wild,

或是在微曛曠野里徘徊，

Or bounding o’er the dark blue wave;

或是在暗藍海波上騰躍;

The cumbrous pomp of Saxon pride

撒克遜浮華的繁文縟禮

Accords not with the freeborn soul,

不合我生來自由的意志，

Which loves the mountain’s craggy side,

我眷念坡道崎嶇的山地，

And seeks the rocks where billows roll.

我向往狂濤撲打的巨石。

Fortune! take back these cultured lands,

命運呵!請收回豐熟的田疇，

Take back this name of splendid sound!

收回這響亮的尊榮稱號

I hate the touch of servile hands,

我厭惡被人卑屈地迎候，

I hate the slaves that cringe around.

厭惡被奴仆躬身環繞。

Place me among the rocks I love,

把我放回我酷愛的山岳，

Which sound to Ocean’s wildest roar;

聽巉巖應和咆哮的海洋;

I ask but this—again to rove

我只求讓我重新領略

Through scenes my youth hath known before.

我從小熟悉的故國風光。

Few are my years, and yet I feel

我雖然年少，也能感覺出

The world was ne’er design’d for me:

這世界決不是為我而設;

Ah! why do dark’ning shades conceal

幽冥暗影為何要冪覆

The hour when man must cease to be?

世人向塵寰告別的時刻?

Once I beheld a splendid dream,

我也曾瞥見過輝煌夢境——

A visionary scene of bliss:

極樂之鄉的神奇幻覺;

Truth!—wherefore did thy hated beam

真相呵!為何你可憎的光明

Awake me to a world like this?

喚醒我面臨這么個世界?

I loved—but those I loved are gone;

我愛過——所愛之人已離去;

Had friends—my early friends are fled:

有朋友——早年友誼已終結;

How cheerless feels the heart alone

孤苦的心靈怎能不憂郁，

When all its former hopes are dead!

當原有的希望都黯然熄滅!

Though gay companions o’er the bowl

縱然酒宴中歡謔的伙伴們

Dispel awhile the sense of ill;

把惡劣情懷驅散了片刻;

Though pleasure stirs the maddening soul,

豪興能振奮癡狂的靈魂，

The heart—the heart—is lonely still.

心兒呵，心兒卻永遠寂寞。

How dull! to hear the voice of those

多無聊!去聽那些人閑談：

Whom rank or chance, whom wealth or power,

那些人與我非敵非友，

Have made, though neither friends nor foes,

是門第、權勢、財富或機緣

Associates of the festive hour.

使他們與我在筵前聚首。

Give me again a faithful few,

把幾個忠誠密友還給我，

In years and feelings still the same,

還是原來的年紀和心情;

And I will fly the midnight crew,

躲開那半夜喧囂的一伙，

Where boist′rous joy is but a name.

他們的歡樂不過是虛名。

And woman, lovely woman! thou,

美人，可愛的美人!你就是

My hope, my comforter, my all?

我的希望，慰藉，和一切?

How cold must be my bosom now,

連你那笑靨的魅力也消失，

When e’en thy smiles begin to pall!

我心中怎能不奇寒凜冽!

Without a sigh would I resign

又富麗又慘苦的繁囂俗境，

This busy scene of splendid woe,

我毫無嘆惜，愿從此告辭;

To make that calm contentment mine,

我只要怡然知足的恬靜——

Which virtue knows, or seems to know.

“美德”熟識它，或似曾相識。

Fain would I fly the haunts of men—

告別這熙來攘往的去處——

I seek to shun, not hate mankind;

我不恨人類，只是想避開;

My breast requires the sullen glen,

我癡心尋覓陰沉崖谷，

Whose gloom may suit a darken’d mind.

那暝色契合這晦暗胸懷。

Oh! that to me the wings were given

但愿能給我一雙翅膀：

Which bear the turtle to her nest!

像斑鳩飛回棲宿的巢里，

Then would I cleave the vault of heaven,

我也要展翅飛越穹蒼，

To flee away, and be at rest.

飄然遠引，得享安息。