Christmas Bells

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

圣誕鐘聲

亨利•沃茲沃思•朗費羅

呂志魯譯

圣誕節的鐘聲敲響，

這古老熟習的贊歌在耳際回旋，

多么粗獷，多么甜蜜，

反復把祝詞叨念：

和平布滿大地，福佑撒遍人間！

想到黎明的降臨,

我的心微微震顫;

所有鐘樓都在敲響，

鐘聲連綿，歌聲不斷：

和平布滿大地，福佑撒遍人間！

鐘聲連綿，歌聲不斷，

直到世界從黑夜轉向白天；

神圣的贊美，

和諧的召喚：

和平布滿大地，福佑撒遍人間！

黑色的炮口多么兇殘，

隆隆炮聲把南方震撼；

鐘聲將炮聲淹沒，

頌歌把血腥趨散：

和平布滿大地，福佑撒遍人間！

世界從此沒有災難，

每個家庭不再貧寒；

送走孤獨，

迎來平安：

和平布滿大地，福佑撒遍人間！

失望中我低頭慨嘆,

為何世上總有戰亂？

這首歌受到嘲弄，

只因胸中仇恨裝滿;

和平布滿大地，福佑撒遍人間！

鐘聲愈加響亮深沉：

“上帝永在，蒼天有眼！

謬誤終將落敗，

正義萬古流傳，

和平布滿大地，福佑撒遍人間!