And when he died, and left us to divide his scanty hoard, I let them take whate’er they would, but kept my father’s sword;
父亲死后,当全家处理父亲那点微薄的遗产时,我让兄弟们随意拿取他们想要的东西,只给自己留下父亲的一把剑。
And with boyish love I hung it where the bright light used to shine, On the cottage wall at Bingen,—calm Bingen on the Rhine.
怀着一个孩子真挚的爱,我将那把剑挂好,挂在阳光可以照到的宾根普通农家的墙上,——莱茵河畔安宁的宾根。
Tell my sister not to weep for me, and sob with drooping head,
请告诉我的姐妹,不要为我哭泣,不要低下悲伤的头。
When the troops come marching home again, with glad and gallant read,
当我们的部队重新胜利凯旋,请为他们感到骄傲。
But to look upon them proudly, with a calm and steadfast eye,
以冷静坚定的骄傲目光欢迎他们,
For her brother was a soldier, too, and not afraid to die;
因为她们的兄弟也是一位士兵。无需畏惧死亡。
And if a comrade seek her love,
假如有位战士追求我的姐妹,
I ask her in my name To listen to him kindly, without regret or shame,
我请求她们以我的名义认真倾听他的叙说,不要后悔或感到羞耻,
And to hang the old sword in its place (my father’s sword and mine),
将那把古老的剑,那把父亲和我共同拥有的战剑在原先位置挂好,
For the honor of old Bingen,—dear Bingen on the Rhine.
为了古老宾根的荣耀,——莱茵河畔可爱的宾根。
There’s another,—not a sister; in the happy days gone by, You’d have known her by the merriment that sparkled in her eye;
还有一位姑娘并非我的姐妹,在过去幸福时光里,从她眼里的欣喜闪光,我读懂了她。
Too innocent for coquetry,—too fond for idle scorning,—O friend! I fear the lightest heart makes sometimes heaviest mourning!
她那天真无邪的撒娇,若无其事的嘲弄。哦,亲爱的朋友!我唯恐你最为细微的心里承受太多悲哀!
Tell her the last night of my life—(for, ere the moon be risen, My body will be out of pain, my soul be out of prison),
请告诉她我生命中最后一夜——(因为,月亮升起之前,我的身体将脱离痛苦,我的灵魂将离开囚禁之地),