LESSON 32 MY MOTHER’S HANDS 母亲的双手

1.Such beautiful, beautiful hands!

They’re neither white nor small;

And you, I know, would scarcely think

That they are fair at all.

I’ve looked on hands whose form and hue

A sculptor’s dream might be;

Yet are those aged, wrinkled hands

More beautiful to me.

2.Such beautiful, beautiful hands!

Though heart were weary and sad,

Those patient hands kept toiling on,

That the children might be glad.

I always weep, as, looking back

To childhood’s distant day,

I think how those hands rested not

When mine were at their play.

3.Such beautiful, beautiful hands!

They’re growing feeble now,

For time and pain have left their mark

On hands and heart and brow.

Alas! alas! the nearing time,

And the sad, sad day to me,

When ’neath the daisies, out of sight,

These hands will folded be.

4.But oh! beyond this shadow land,

Where all is bright and fair,

I know full well these dear old hands

Will palms of victory bear;

Where crystal streams through endless years

Flow over golden sands,

And where the old grow young again,

I’ll clasp my mother’s hands.

【中文阅读】

1.如此美丽的双手！

既不白嫩，也不娇小；

我知道，你多半不会觉得

这样的双手是美丽的。

我看过那些优雅的手，那些姿态和光泽

都能激发起一个雕塑家灵感的手；

但这双干枯羸弱、布满皱纹的手

在我眼里，却是最美的。

2.如此美丽的双手！

虽然主人心里，已盛满疲惫哀伤，

但这双手却仍然日夜辛劳，

为了孩子们的幸福。

当我回首童年，

我总会无声恸哭。

那时，我尽情嬉笑打闹，

母亲的这双手，却从未休息。

3.如此美丽的双手！

它们现在越来越虚弱，

岁月和痛苦刻下它们的痕迹

在手上，在脸上，在心上。

啊！啊！越来越近的最后撒手，

一想到，便让我伤痛欲绝。

这双手将被轻轻合起，

雏菊花下，被一抔黄土掩埋。

4.但是，越过这死亡阴影，

她将抵达那片光明彼岸。

我清楚地知道，慈爱的上帝

将温柔握住这双我最亲爱的母亲的手。

在那片神的乐土上，水晶般的溪流

永不停歇地流过金色的沙滩，

在那里，年老的将会变得年轻，

在那里，我会再度紧握母亲的手。