用颤抖的手指我们在编织

With trembling fingers did we weave

环绕圣诞炉火的冬青；

         The holly round the Christmas hearth;

大地上乌云横行，

         A rainy cloud possess'd the earth,

我们的平安夜忧伤地降临。

And sadly fell our Christmas-eve.

如往年一样，我们在客厅小聚，

At our old pastimes in the hall

嬉戏打闹，强颜欢笑，

         We gambol'd, making vain pretence

但每个人都心怀敬畏地觉察到

         Of gladness, with an awful sense

有个幽影无声地注视着一切。

Of one mute Shadow watching all.

我们停下来：风在山毛榉上：

We paused: the winds were in the beech:

我们听见它们正扫荡冬天的土地；

         We heard them sweep the winter land;

而在一个手拉手的圆圈里

         And in a circle hand-in-hand

我们沉默端坐，相互凝望。

Sat silent, looking each at each.

于是我们的声音彼此回荡；

Then echo-like our voices rang;

我们唱歌，尽管眼神黯淡，

         We sung, tho' every eye was dim,

去年此时，我们曾和他相伴

         A merry song we sang with him

唱愉快的歌：我们纵情歌唱：

Last year: impetuously we sang:

歌声停顿：一种温柔的感觉蔓延

We ceased: a gentler feeling crept

在我们中间：休息是多么合适：

         Upon us: surely rest is meet:

“他们休息，”我们说，“他们的睡眠香甜”

         "They rest," we said, "their sleep is sweet,"

沉默袭来，我们哭泣。

And silence follow'd, and we wept.

我们的歌声抵达更高的音域；

Our voices took a higher range;

再一次我们唱道：“他们没有死

         Once more we sang: "They do not die

没有丧失与人世间的感应，

         Nor lose their mortal sympathy,

对我们来说毫无变化，尽管他们已改变；

Nor change to us, although they change;

“聚集起力量，从变幻和脆弱中

"Rapt from the fickle and the frail

摆脱，再用这样的力量，

         With gather'd power, yet the same,

这六翼天使般强烈而纯洁的光，

         Pierces the keen seraphic flame

刺穿一圈圈天体，一层层面纱。”

From orb to orb, from veil to veil."

上升，快乐的晨曦，上升，神圣的晨曦，

Rise, happy morn, rise, holy morn,

从夜晚唤起欢乐的白昼：

         Draw forth the cheerful day from night:

哦天父，请轻触东方，擦亮

         O Father, touch the east, and light

那希望萌生时微微闪动的光。

The light that shone when Hope was born.