When my mother died I was very young,

我妈妈死的时候我年纪还很小，

And my father sold me while yet my tongue

而当我的嘴巴还未学会去叫

Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"

“扫！扫！扫！扫！”我爹爹已把我卖掉！

So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.

于是我替你们扫烟囱，在煤屑里睡觉。

There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head

有一个小托姆，他那羊裘似的鬈发

That curled like a lamb's back, was shaved, so I said,

被剃光的时候，伤心得直嚷。

"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare,

我说：“别哭，托姆，没关系：你晓得

You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair."

头光了将来就不怕煤屑把白发弄脏。”

And so he was quiet, & that very night,

于是他不响了；于是那天晚上，

As Tom was a-sleeping he had such a sight!

托姆睡着的时候，看见了怎样的景象！

That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, & Jack,

他看见成千成万的扫烟囱的孩子，

Were all of them locked up in coffins of black;

阿克呀，阿狄呀，都被关进黑棺材里。

And by came an Angel who had a bright key,

然后一个天使，挽着明晃晃的钥匙

And he opened the coffins & set them all free;

走来，打开棺材，把他们通通放出来；

Then down a green plain, leaping, laughing they run,

于是他们跳着，笑着，跑向一片草地，

And wash in a river and shine in the Sun.

在河水里洗澡，又在阳光中晒晒。

Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,

于是又白又亮的，放下了袋子，

They rise upon clouds, and sport in the wind.

一个个升上云端，在风中游戏；

And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,

天使对托姆说，他要是乖小孩，

He'd have God for his father & never want joy.

就会得上帝做爸爸，一辈子欢快。

And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark

托姆醒来了，我们马上摸黑起来，

And got with our bags & our brushes to work.

提起袋子和笤帚把工作展开。

Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm;

虽然早上很冷，托姆也觉得温暖愉快。

So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.

所以，只要各尽本分，就消难消灾。