在荒凉的南方妈妈生下我来，

My mother bore me in the southern wild,

我黑，可是啊，我却有洁白的心灵；

    And I am black, but O my soul is white!

白得像天使是英国的小孩，

White as an angel is the English child,

我却黑黑的，仿佛失去了光明。

    But I am black, as if bereaved of light.

在炎热白昼的面前坐定，

My mother taught me underneath a tree,

树底下妈妈把我开导；

    And, sitting down before the heat of day,

她把我抱上膝头吻吻，

She took me on her lap and kissèd me,

然后指着东方说道：

    And, pointing to the East, began to say:

“看那上升的太阳，那儿上帝居住，

‘Look on the rising sun: there God does live,

散着他的热，发着他的光，

    And gives His light, and gives His heat away,

是他使人和畜，花和树，

And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive

中午得欢乐，早晨得安康。

    Comfort in morning, joy in the noonday.

“他把我们往小小的地面上一放，

‘And we are put on earth a little space,

叫我们学会承受爱的光芒；

    That we may learn to bear the beams of love;

这黑黑的身子，太阳烧焦的脸庞，

And these black bodies and this sunburnt face

不过像云彩和阴暗的草莽。

    Are but a cloud, and like a shady grove.

“有一天我们学会了承受那热，

‘For, when our souls have learned the heat to bear,

那云彩就消散，我们就会听他说道：

    The cloud will vanish, we shall hear His voice,

‘走出林子来，我的亲亲，我的爱，

Saying, “Come out from the grove, my love and care,

围着我金色的帐幕羔羊般欢跳。'"

    And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice.”’

妈妈这么说着，把我吻吻，

Thus did my mother say, and kissed me,

我对英国小孩也这么讲：

    And thus I say to little English boy.

等我离了黑云，他离了白云，

When I from black, and he from white cloud free,

我们围着上帝的帐幕欢乐如羔羊；

    And round the tent of God like lambs we joy,

我给他遮热，等到他能够

I’ll shade him from the heat till he can bear

快活地倚着天父的膝盖；

    To lean in joy upon our Father’s knee;

那时我站着，抚摸他银色的头，

And then I’ll stand and stroke his silver hair,

我像他，他就会和我相爱。

    And be like him, and he will then love me.