Modest and shy as a nun is she,
雌鸟羞涩得像位修女,
One weak chirp is her only note;
偶尔低声地唧喳两声,
Braggart and prince of braggarts is he,
夫君却是自吹自擂的王子,
Pouring boasts from his little throat:
颇为自豪地不停叫唤,
Bobolink, Bobolink,
食米鸟,食米鸟,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯宾克,斯潘克,斯宾克,
Never was I afraid of man,
我可从来不怕人,
Catch me, cowardly knaves, if you can.
无赖!流氓!有胆你就放马过来,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。
Six white eggs on a bed of hay,
干草上,六只白色的蛋,
Flecked with purple, a pretty sight!
紫色的斑点,温润美丽,
There as the mother sits all day,
妈妈整天地孵坐窝里,
Robert is singing with all his might:
父亲快乐地吐露心声,
Bobolink, bobolink,
食米鸟,食米鸟,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯宾克,斯潘克,斯宾克,
Nice good wife that never goes out,
尽职的母亲从不挪窝,
Keeping house while I frolic about.
我却在一边玩耍嬉戏,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。
Soon as the little ones chip the shell,
雏鸟们很快破壳而出,
Six wide mouths are open for food;
六只嗷嗷小嘴盼着食物,
Robert of Lincoln bestirs him well,
罗伯特.林肯抖擞精神,
Gathering seeds for the hungry brood..
衔来草籽喂养待哺的宝贝,
Bobolink, bobolink,
食米鸟,食米鸟,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯宾克,斯潘克,斯宾克,
This new life is likely to be hard for a gay young fellow like me.
新出世的雏鸟们,今后或许像我同样艰难辛苦,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。
Robert of Lincoln at length is made
罗伯特.林肯变了模样,
Sober with work, and silent with care;
精心地照料孩子不再歌唱,
Off is his holiday garment laid,
它脱下假日漂亮的盛装,
Half forgotten that merry air:
忘却快乐的和煦阳光,
Bobolink, bobolink,
食米鸟,食米鸟,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯宾克,斯潘克,斯宾克,
Nobody knows but my mate and I
除了我们夫妻俩,
Where our nest and our nestlings lie.
没人知道孵蛋的小窝搭在哪,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。
Summer wanes; the children are grown;
夏天过去,雏鸟们已长大,
Fun and frolic no more he knows;
不再只知道嬉戏玩耍,
Robert of Lincoln's a humdrum crone;
老伴变得干瘪无趣,
Off he flies, and we sing as he goes:
罗伯特飞走时,歌谣依然在唱,
Bobolink, bobolink,
食米鸟,食米鸟,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯宾克,斯潘克,斯宾克,
When you can pipe that merry old strain,
风笛吹响,古老迷人的曲调,
Robert of Lincoln, come back again.
罗伯特终于飞回来了,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。