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.
恐怖的黑暗與寂靜
在咕嚕布嚕草原，
占據著漫長而嚴寒的冬夜；
海浪拍碎在嶙峋的礁岩，
發出一聲聲憤怒的呐喊；
暴風雲露出思想者的愁容，
積聚在槍殼堡山之巔——
看，在那無邊無際的黑暗中，
有一星火光一閃一閃——
孤獨的光點射出銀色的光線，
刺穿了如墨似漆的黑夜——
如一顆詭秘而明亮的流星：
一束攝人心魄的光線，
遊移不定。
Slowly it wanders, pauses, creeps,—
Anon it sparkles, flashes, and leaps;
這束光停停走走，爬上山坡——
接著忽閃忽閃，跳躍不停；
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!"
光線一直閃動著，不停向前，
跳上了棒棒樹的粗大枝幹。
誰要是從大廈、高台和塔頂上，
在這午夜時分向下俯瞰，
見到這束亂舞的光，準會大喊——
“咚咚！是咚咚！
咚咚正漫遊在森林！
咚咚！是咚咚！