THE FLOWER-SCHOOL

When storm clouds rumble in the sky and June showers come down,

The moist east wind comes marching over the heath to blow its bagpipes among the bamboos.

Then crowds of flowers come out of a sudden, from nobody knows where, and dance upon the grass in wild glee.

Mother, I really think the flowers go to school underground.

They do their lessons with doors shut, and if they want to come out to play before it is time, their master makes them stand in a corner.

When the rains come they have their holidays.

Branches clash together in the forest, and the leaves rustle in the wild wind, the thunder-clouds clap their giant hands and the flower children rush out in dresses of pink and yellow and white.

Do you know, mother, their home is in the sky, where the stars are.

Haven't you seen how eager they are to get there? Don't you know why they are in such a hurry?

Of course, I can guess to whom they raise their arms: they have their mother as I have my own.

    当雷云在天上轰响，六月的阵雨落下的时候，
    润湿的东风走过荒野，在竹林中吹着口笛。
    于是一群一群的花从无人知道的地方突然跑出来，在绿草上狂欢地跳着舞。
    妈妈，我真的觉得那群花朵是在地下的学校里上学。
    他们关了门做功课，如果他们想在散学以前出来游戏，他们的老师是要罚他们站壁角的。
    雨一来，他们便放假了。
    树枝在林中互相碰触着，绿叶在狂风里萧萧地响着，雷云拍着大手，花孩子们便在那时候穿了紫的、黄的、白的衣裳，冲了出来。
    你可知道，妈妈，他们的家是在天上，在星星所住的地方。
    你没有看见他们怎样地急着要到那儿去么？你不知道他们为什么那样急急忙忙么？
    我自然能够猜得出他们是对谁扬起双臂来：他们也有他们的妈妈，就像我有我自己的妈妈一样。

THE MERCHANT

Imagine, mother, that you are to stay at home and I am to travel into strange lands.

Imagine that my boat is ready at the landing fully laden.

Now think well, mother, before you say what I shall bring for you when I come back.

Mother, do you want heaps and heaps of gold?

There, by the banks of golden streams, fields are full of golden harvest.

And in the shade of the forest path the golden champa flowers drop on the ground.

I will gather them all for you in many hundred baskets. Mother, do you want pearls big as the raindrops of autumn?

I shall cross to the pearl island shore. There in the early morning light pearls tremble on the meadow flowers, pearls drop on the grass, and pearls are scattered on the sand in spray by the wild sea-waves.

My brother shall have a pair of horses with wings to fly among the clouds.

For father I shall bring a magic pen that, without his knowing, will write of itself.

For you, mother, I must have the casket and jewel that cost seven kings their kingdoms.

    妈妈，让我们想象，你待在家里，我到异邦去旅行。
    再想象，我的船已经装得满满地在码头上等候启碇了。
    现在，妈妈，好生想一想再告诉我，回来的时候我要带些什么给你。
    妈妈，你要一堆一堆的黄金么？
    在金河的两岸，田野里全是金色的稻实。
    在林荫的路上，金色花也一朵一朵地落在地上。
    我要为你把它们全都收拾起来，放在好几百个篮子里。
    妈妈，你要秋天的雨点一般大的珍珠么？
    我要渡海到珍珠岛的岸上去。
    那个地方，在清晨的曙光里，珠子在草地的野花上颤动，珠子落在绿草上，珠子被汹狂的海浪一大把一大把地撒在沙滩上。
    我的哥哥呢，我要送他一对有翼的马，会在云端飞翔的。
    爸爸呢，我要带一支有魔力的笔给他，他还没有觉得，笔就写出字来了。
    你呢，妈妈，我一定要把那个值七个王国的首饰箱和珠宝送给你。

SYMPATHY

If I were only a little puppy, not your baby, mother dear, would you say "No" to me if I tried to eat from your dish?

Would you drive me off, saying to me, "Get away, you naughty little puppy?"

Then go, mother, go! I will never come to you when you call me, and never let you feed me any more.

If I were only a little green parrot, and not your baby, mother dear, would you keep me chained lest I should fly away?

Would you shake your finger at me and say, "What an ungrateful wretch of a bird! It is gnawing at its chain day and night?"

Then, go, mother, go! I will run away into the woods; I will never let you take me in your arms again.

    如果我只是一只小狗，而不是你的小孩，亲爱的妈妈，当我想吃你的盘里的东西时，你要向我说“不”么？
    你要赶开我，对我说道：“滚开，你这淘气的小狗”么？
    那末，走罢，妈妈，走罢！当你叫唤我的时候，我就永不到你那里去，也永不要你再喂我吃东西了。
    如果我只是一只绿色的小鹦鹉，而不是你的小孩，亲爱的妈妈，你要把我紧紧地锁住，怕我飞走么？
    你要对我摇你的手，说道：“怎样的一个不知感恩的贱鸟呀！整夜地尽在咬它的链子”么？
    那末，走罢，妈妈，走罢！我要跑到树林里去；我就永不再让你抱我在你的臂里了。

VOCATION

When the gong sounds ten in the morning and I walk to school by our lane,

Every day I meet the hawker crying, "Bangles, crystal bangles!"

There is nothing to hurry him on, there is no road he must take, no place he must go to, no time when he must come home.

I wish I were a hawker, spending my day in the road, crying, "Bangles, crystal bangles!"

When at four in the afternoon I come back from the school,

I can see through the gate of that house the gardener digging the ground.

He does what he likes with his spade, he soils his clothes with dust, nobody takes him to task if he gets baked in the sun or gets wet.

I wish I were a gardener digging away at the garden with nobody to stop me from digging.

Just as it gets dark in the evening and my mother sends me to bed,

I can see through my open window the watchman walking up and down.

The lane is dark and lonely, and the street-lamp stands like a giant with one red eye in its head.

The watchman swings his lantern and walks with his shadow at his side, and never once goes to bed in his life.

I wish I were a watchman walking the streets all night, chasing the shadows with my lantern.

    早晨，钟敲十下的时候，我沿着我们的小巷到学校去。
    每天我都遇见那个小贩，他叫道：“镯子呀，亮晶晶的镯子！”
    他没有什么事情急着要做，他没有哪条街一定要走，他没有什么地方一定要去，他没有什么时间一定要回家。
    我愿意我是一个小贩，在街上过日子，叫着：“镯子呀，亮晶晶的镯子！”
    下午四点，我从学校里回家。
    从一家门口，我看得见一个园丁在那里掘地。
    他用他的锄子，要怎么掘，便怎么掘，他被尘土污了衣裳，如果他被太阳晒黑了或是身上被打湿了，都没有人骂他。
    我愿意我是一个园丁，在花园里掘地。谁也不来阻止我。
    天色刚黑，妈妈就送我上床。
    从开着的窗口，我看得见更夫走来走去。
    小巷又黑又冷清，路灯立在那里，像一个头上生着一只红眼睛的巨人。
    更夫摇着他的提灯，跟他身边的影子一起走着，他一生一次都没有上床去过。
    我愿意我是一个更夫，整夜在街上走，提了灯去追逐影子。

SUPERIOR

Mother, your baby is silly! She is so absurdly childish!

She does not know the difference between the lights in the streets and the stars.

When we play at eating with pebbles, she thinks they are real food, and tries to put them into her mouth.

When I open a book before her and ask her to learn her a, b, c, she tears the leaves with her hands and roars for joy at nothing; this is your baby's way of doing her lesson.

When I shake my head at her in anger and scold her and call her naughty, she laughs and thinks it great fun.

Everybody knows that father is away, but if in play I call aloud "Father," she looks about her in excitement and thinks that father is near.

When I hold my class with the donkeys that our washerman brings to carry away the clothes and I warn her that I am the schoolmaster, she will scream for no reason and call me dada? [elder brother ]

Your baby wants to catch the moon. She is so funny; she calls Ganesh Ganush. [Ganesh, a common name in India, also that of the god with the elephant's head.]

Mother, your baby is silly, she is so absurdly childish!

    妈妈，你的孩子真傻！她是那末可笑地不懂得事！
    她不知道路灯和星星的分别。
    当我们玩着把小石子当食物的游戏时，她便以为它们真是吃的东西，竟想放进嘴里去。
    当我翻开一本书，放在她面前，在她读a，b，c时，她却用手把书页撕了，无端快活地叫起来，你的孩子就是这样做功课的。
    当我生气地对她摇头，骂她，说她顽皮时，她却哈哈大笑，以为很有趣。
    谁都知道爸爸不在家，但是，如果我在游戏时高声叫一声“爸爸”，她便要高兴地四面张望，以为爸爸真是近在身边。
    当我把洗衣人带来载衣服回去的驴子当做学生，并且警告她说，我是老师，她却无缘无故地乱叫起我哥哥来。
    你的孩子要捉月亮。
    她是这样的可笑；她把格尼许①唤作琪奴许。
    妈妈，你的孩子真傻，她是那末可笑地不懂事！   

　　①格尼许（Ganesh）是毁灭之神湿婆的儿子，象头人身。同时也是现代印度人所最喜欢用来做名字的第一个字。