THE UNHEEDED PAGEANT
Ah, who was it coloured that little frock, my child, and covered your sweet limbs with that little red tunic?
You have come out in the morning to play in the courtyard, tottering and tumbling as you run.
But who was it coloured that little frock, my child?
What is it makes you laugh, my little life-bud?
Mother smiles at you standing on the threshold.
She claps her hands and her bracelets jingle, and you dance with your bamboo stick in your hand like a tiny little shepherd.
But what is it makes you laugh, my little life-bud?
O, beggar, what do you beg for, clinging to your mother's neck with both your hands?
O, greedy heart, shall I pluck the world like a fruit from the sky to place it on your little rosy palm?
O, beggar, what are you begging for?
The wind carries away in glee the tinkling of your anklet bells.
The sun smiles and watches your toilet.
The sky watches over you when you sleep in your mother's arms, and the morning comes tiptoe to your bed and kisses your eyes.
The wind carries away in glee the tinkling of your anklet bells.
The fairy mistress of dreams is coming towards you, flying through the twilight sky.
The world-mother keeps her seat by you in your mother's heart.
He who plays his music to the stars is standing at your window with his flute.
And the fairy mistress of dreams is coming towards you, flying through the twilight sky.
不被注意的花饰
呵，谁给那件小外衫染上颜色的，我的孩子？谁使你的温软的肢体穿上那件红色小外衫的？
你在早晨就跑出来到天井里玩儿，你，跑着就像摇摇欲跌似的。
但是谁给那件小外衫染上颜色的，我的孩子？
什么事叫你大笑起来的，我的小小的命芽儿？
妈妈站在门边，微笑地望着你。
她拍着双手，她的手镯叮当地响着；你手里拿着你的竹竿儿在跳舞，活像一个小小的牧童儿。
但是什么事叫你大笑起来的，我的小小的命芽儿？
喔，乞丐，你双手攀搂住妈妈的头颈，要乞讨些什么？
喔，贪得无厌的心，要我把整个世界从天上摘下来，像摘一个果子似的，把它放在你的一双小小的玫瑰色的手掌上么？
喔，乞丐，你要乞讨些什么？
风高兴地带走了你踝铃的叮当。
太阳微笑着，望着你的打扮。
当你睡在你妈妈的臂弯里时，天空在上面望着你，而早晨蹑手蹑脚地走到你的床跟前，吻着你的双眼。
风高兴地带走了你踝铃的叮当。
仙乡里的梦婆飞过朦胧的天空，向你飞来。
在你妈妈的心头上，那世界母亲，正和你坐在一块儿。
他，向星星奏乐的人，正拿着他的横笛，站在你的窗边。
仙乡里的梦婆飞过朦胧的天空，向你飞来。
SLEEP-STEALER
Who stole sleep from baby's eyes? I must know.
Clasping her pitcher to her waist, mother went to fetch water from the village near by.
It was noon. The children's playtime was over; the ducks in the pond were silent.
The shepherd boy lay asleep under the shadow of the banyan tree.
The crane stood grave and still in the swamp near the mango grove.
In the meanwhile the Sleep-stealer came and, snatching sleep from baby's eyes, flew away.
When mother came back she found baby travelling the room over on all fours.
Who stole sleep from our baby's eyes? I must know. I must find her and chain her up.
I must look into that dark cave, where, through boulders and scowling stones, trickles a tiny stream.
I must search in the drowsy shade of the bakula grove, where pigeons coo in their corner, and fairies' anklets tinkle in the stillness of starry nights.
In the evening I will peep into the whispering silence of the bamboo forest, where fire-flies squander their light, and will ask every creature I meet, “Can anybody tell me where the Sleep-stealer lives?”
Who stole sleep from baby's eyes? I must know.
Shouldn't I give her a good lesson if I could only catch her!
I would raid her nest and see where she hoards all her stolen sleep.
I would plunder it all, and carry it home.
I would bind her two wings securely, set her on the bank of the river, and then let her play at fishing with a reed among the rushes and water-lilies.
When the marketing is over in the evening, and the village children sit in their mothers' laps, then the night birds will mockingly din her ears with:
“Whose sleep will you steal now?”
偷睡眠者
谁从孩子的眼里把睡眠偷了去呢？我一定要知道。
妈妈把她的水罐挟在腰间，走到近村汲水去了。
这是正午的时候。孩子们游戏的时间已经过去了；池中的鸭子沉默无声。
牧童躺在榕树的荫下睡着了。
白鹤庄重而安静地立在芒果树边的泥泽里。
就在这个时候，偷睡眠者跑来从孩子的两眼里捉住睡眠，便飞去了。
当妈妈回来时，她看见孩子四肢着地地在屋里爬着。
谁从孩子的眼里把睡眠偷了去呢？我一定要知道。我一定要找到她，把她锁起来。
我一定要向那个黑洞里张望。在这个洞里，有一道小泉从圆的和有皱纹的石上滴下来。
我一定要到醉花林中的沉寂的树影里搜寻。在这林中鸽子在它们住的地方咕咕地叫着，仙女的脚环在繁星满天的静夜里叮当地响着。
我要在黄昏时，向静静的萧萧的竹林里窥望。在这林中，萤火虫闪闪地耗费它们的光明，只要遇见一个人，我便要问他，“谁能告诉我偷睡眠者住在什么地方？”
谁从孩子的眼里把睡眠偷了去呢？我一定要知道。
只要我能捉住她，怕不会给她一顿好教训！
我要闯入她的巢穴，看她把所有偷来的睡眠藏在什么地方。
我要把它都夺了来，带回家去。
我要把她的双翼缚得紧紧的，把她放在河边，然后叫她拿一根芦苇，在灯心草和睡莲间钓鱼为戏。
当黄昏，街上已经收了市，村里的孩子们都坐在妈妈的膝上时，夜鸟便会讥笑地在她耳边说：
“你现在还想偷谁的睡眠呢？”