When awful darkness and silence reign
Over the great Gromboolian plain,
Through the long, long wintry nights;
When the angry breakers roar
As they beat on the rocky shore;
When Storm-clouds brood on the towering heights
Of the Hills of the Chankly Bore,—
Then, through the vast and gloomy dark
There moves what seems a fiery spark,—
A lonely spark with silvery rays
Piercing the coal-black night,—
A Meteor strange and bright:
Hither and thither the vision strays,
A single lurid light.
恐怖的黑暗与寂静
在咕噜布噜草原，
占据着漫长而严寒的冬夜；
海浪拍碎在嶙峋的礁岩，
发出一声声愤怒的呐喊；
暴风云露出思想者的愁容，
积聚在枪壳堡山之巅——
看，在那无边无际的黑暗中，
有一星火光一闪一闪——
孤独的光点射出银色的光线，
刺穿了如墨似漆的黑夜——
如一颗诡秘而明亮的流星：
一束摄人心魄的光线，
游移不定。
Slowly it wanders, pauses, creeps,—
Anon it sparkles, flashes, and leaps;
这束光停停走走，爬上山坡——
接着忽闪忽闪，跳跃不停；
And ever as onward it gleaming goes
A light on the Bong-tree stems it throws.
And those who watch at that midnight hour
From Hall or Terrace or lofty Tower,
Cry, as the wild light passes along,—
"The Dong! the Dong!
The wandering Dong through the forest goes!
The Dong! the Dong!
The Dong with a luminous Nose!"
光线一直闪动着，不停向前，
跳上了棒棒树的粗大枝干。
谁要是从大厦、高台和塔顶上，
在这午夜时分向下俯瞰，
见到这束乱舞的光，准会大喊——
“咚咚！是咚咚！
咚咚正漫游在森林！
咚咚！是咚咚！