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第58章

the home book of verse-1-第58章

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And the colors have all passed away from her eyes!



William Wordsworth '1770…1850'





CHILDREN'S SONG



Sometimes wind and sometimes rain;

Then the sun comes back again;

Sometimes rain and sometimes snow;

Goodness; how we'd like to know

Why the weather alters so。



When the weather's really good

We go nutting in the wood;

When it rains we stay at home;

And then sometimes other some

Of the neighbors' children come。



Sometimes we have jam and meat;

All the things we like to eat;

Sometimes we make do with bread

And potatoes boiled instead。

Once when we were put to bed

We had nowt and mother cried;

But that was after father died。



So; sometimes wind and sometimes rain;

Then the sun comes back again;

Sometimes rain and sometimes snow;

Goodness; how we'd like to know

If things will always alter so。



Ford Madox Ford '1873…





THE MITHERLESS BAIRN



When a' other bairnies are hushed to their hame

By aunty; or cousin; or frecky grand…dame;

Wha stands last and lanely; an' naebody carin'?

'Tis the puir doited loonie; … the mitherless bairn!



The mitherless bairn gangs to his lane bed;

Nane covers his cauld back; or haps his bare head;

His wee hackit heelies are hard as the airn;

An' litheless the lair o' the mitherless bairn。



Aneath his cauld brow siccan dreams hover there;

O' hands that wont kindly to kame his dark hair;

But mornin' brings clutches; a' reckless an' stern;

That lo'e na the locks o' the mitherless bairn!



Yon sister that sang o'er his saftly rocked bed

Now rests in the mools where her mammie is laid;

The father toils sair their wee bannock to earn;

An' kens na the wrangs o' his mitherless bairn。



Her spirit; that passed in yon hour o' his birth;

Still watches his wearisome wanderings on earth;

Recording in heaven the blessings they earn

Wha couthilie deal wi' the mitherless bairn!



O; speak him na harshly; … he trembles the while;

He bends to your bidding; and blesses your smile;

In their dark hour o' anguish the heartless shall learn

That God deals the blow; for the mitherless bairn!



William Thom '1798?…1848'





THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN



Do ye hear the children weeping; O my brothers;

Ere the sorrow comes with years?

They are leaning their young heads against their mothers;

And that cannot stop their tears。

The young lambs are bleating in the meadows;

The young birds are chirping in the nest;

The young fawns are playing with the shadows;

The young flowers are blowing toward the west …

But the young; young children; O my brothers;

They are weeping bitterly!

They are weeping in the playtime of the others;

In the country of the free。



Do you question the young children in the sorrow;

Why their tears are falling so?

The old man may weep for his to…morrow

Which is lost in Long Ago;

The old tree is leafless in the forest;

The old year is ending in the frost;

The old wound; if stricken; is the sorest;

The old hope is hardest to be lost:

But the young; young children; O my brothers;

Do you ask them why they stand

Weeping sore before the bosoms of their mothers;

In our happy Fatherland?



They look up with their pale and sunken faces;

And their looks are sad to see;

For the man's hoary anguish draws and presses

Down the cheeks of infancy;

〃Your old earth;〃 they say; 〃is very dreary;

Our young feet〃 they say; 〃are very weak;

Few paces have we taken; yet are weary …

Our grave…rest is very far to seek:

Ask the aged why they weep; and not the children

For the outside earth is cold;

And we young ones stand without; in our bewildering;

And the graves are for the old。



〃True;〃 say the children; 〃it may happen

That we die before our time:

Little Alice died last year … her grave is shapen

Like a snowball; in the rime。

We looked into the pit prepared to take her:

Was no room for any work in the close clay!

From the sleep wherein she lieth none will wake her;

Crying; 'Get up; little Alice! it is day。'

If you listen by that grave; in sun and shower;

With your ear down; little Alice never cries;

Could we see her face; be sure we should not know her;

For the smile has time for growing in her eyes:

And merry go her moments; lulled and stilled in

The shroud by the kirk…chime。

It is good when it happens;〃 say the children;

〃That we die before our time。〃



Alas; alas; the children! they are seeking

Death in life; as best to have!

They are binding up their hearts away from breaking;

With a cerement from the grave。

Go out; children; from the mine and from the city;

Sing out; children; as the little thrushes do;

Pluck your handfuls of the meadow cowslips pretty;

Laugh aloud; to feel your fingers let them through!

But they answer; 〃Are your cowslips of the meadows

Like our weeds anear the mine?

Leave us quiet in the dark of the coal…shadows;

From your pleasures fair and fine!



〃For oh;〃 say the children; 〃we are weary;

And we cannot run or leap;

If we cared for any meadows; it were merely

To drop down in them and sleep。

Our knees tremble sorely in the stooping;

We fall upon our faces; trying to go;

And; underneath our heavy eyelids drooping;

The reddest flower would look as pale as snow。

For; all day; we drag our burden tiring;

Through the coal…dark; underground;

Or; all day; we drive the wheels of iron

In the factories; round and round。



〃For; all day; the wheels are droning; turning;

Their wind comes in our faces;

Till our hearts turn; our heads; with pulses burning;

And the walls turn in their places:

Turns the sky in the high window blank and reeling;

Turns the long light that drops adown the wall;

Turn the black flies that crawl along the ceiling:

All are turning; all the day; and we with all。

And all day; the iron wheels are droning;

And sometimes we could pray;

'O ye wheels; (breaking out in a mad moaning)

'Stop! be silent for to…day!'〃



Ay; be silent!  Let them hear each other breathing

For a moment; mouth to mouth!

Let them touch each other's hands; in a fresh wreathing

Of their tender human youth!

Let them feel that this cold metallic motion

Is not all the life God fashions or reveals:

Let them prove their living souls against the notion

That they live in you; or under you; O wheels!

Still; all day; the iron wheels go onward;

Grinding life down from its mark;

And the children's souls; which God is calling sunward;

Spin on blindly in the dark。



Now tell the poor young children; O my brothers;

To look up to Him and pray;

So the blessed One; who blesseth all the others;

Will bless them another day。

They answer; 〃Who is God that He should hear us;

While the rushing of the iron wheels is stirred?

When we sob aloud; the human creatures near us

Pass by; hearing not; or answer not a word!

And we hear not (for the wheels in their resounding)

Strangers speaking at the door:

Is it likely God; with angels singing round Him;

Hears our weeping any more?



〃Two words; indeed; of praying we remember;

And at midnight's hour of harm;

'Our Father;' looking upward in the chamber;

We say softly for a charm。

We know no other words except 'Our Father;'

And we think that; in some pause of angels' song;

God may pluck them with the silence sweet to gather;

And hold both within his right hand which is strong。

'Our Father!' If He heard us; He would surely

(For they call Him good and mild)

Answer; smiling down the steep world very purely;

'Come and rest with me; my child。'



〃But no!〃 say the children; weeping faster;

〃He is speechless as a stone;

And they tell us; of His image is the master

Who commands us to work on。

Go to!〃 say the children; … 〃Up in Heaven;

Dark; wheel…like; turning clouds are all we find。

Do not mock us; grief has made us unbelieving:

We look up for God; but tears have made us blind。〃

Do you hear the children weeping and disprovin

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