偷睡眠者

誰從孩子的眼里把睡眠偷了去呢？我一定要知道。

媽媽把她的水罐挾在腰間，走到近村汲水去了。

這是正午的時候，孩子們游戲的時間已經(jīng)過去了；池中的鴨子沉默無聲。

牧童躺在榕樹的蔭下睡著了。

白鶴莊重而安靜地立在檬果樹邊的泥澤里。

就在這個時候，偷睡眠者跑來從孩子的兩眼里捉住睡眠，便飛去了。

當媽媽回來時，她看見孩子四肢著地在屋里爬著。

誰從孩子的眼里把睡眠偷了去呢？我一定要知道。我一定要找到她，把她鎖起來。

我一定要向那個黑洞里張望，在這個洞里，有一道小泉從圓的和有皺紋的石上滴下來。

我一定要到醉花林中的沉寂的樹影里搜尋，在這林中，鴿子在它們住的地方咕咕地叫著，仙女的腳環(huán)在繁星滿天的靜夜里丁當?shù)仨懼?/p>

我要在黃昏時，向靜靜的蕭蕭的竹林里窺望，在這林中，螢火蟲閃閃地耗費它們的光明，只要遇見一個人，我便要問他：

“誰能告訴我偷睡眠者住在什么地方？”

誰從孩子的眼里把睡眠偷了去呢？我一定要知道。

只要我能捉住她，怕不會給她一頓好教訓！

我要闖入她的巢穴，看她把所有偷來的睡眠藏在什么地方。

我要把它都奪來，帶回家去。

我要把她的雙翼縛得緊緊的，把她放在河邊，然后叫她拿一根蘆葦在燈心草和睡蓮間釣魚為戲。

黃昏，街上已經(jīng)收了市，村里的孩子們都坐在媽媽的膝上時，夜鳥便會譏笑地在她耳邊說：

“你現(xiàn)在還想偷誰的睡眠呢？”

SLEEP-STEALER

WHO stole sleep from baby’s eyes?I must know.

Clasping her pitcher to her waist mother went to fetch waterfrom the village nearby.

It was noon.The children’s playtime was over;the ducks in thepond were silent.

The shepherd boy lay asleep under the shadow of the banyantree.

The crane stood grave and still in the swamp near the mangogrove.

In the meanwhile the Sleep-stealer came and,snatching sleepfrom baby’s eyes,flew away.

When mother came back she found baby travelling the roomover on all fours.

Who stole sleep from our baby’s eyes?I must know.I mustfind her and chain her up.

I must look into that dark cave,where,through boulders andscowling stones,trickles atiny stream.

I must search in the drowsy shade of the bakula grove,wherepigeons coo in their corner,and fairies’anklets tinkle in thestillness of starry nights.

In the evening Iwill peep into the whispering silence of thebamboo forest,where fireflies squander their light,and will askevery creature Imeet,“Can anybody tell me where the Sleep-stealer lives?”

Who stole sleep from baby’s eyes?I must know.

Shouldn’t Igive her agood lesson if Icould only catch her!

I would raid her nest and see where she hoards all her stolensleep.

I would plunder it all,and carry it home.

I would bind her two wings securely,set her on the bank ofthe river,and then let her play at fishing with areed among therushes and water-lilies.

When the marketing is over in the evening,and the villagechildren sit in their mothers’laps,then the night birds willmockingly din her ears with:

“Whose sleep will you steal now?”

1. 醉花（bakula），學名Mimusops Elengi。印度傳說美女口中吐出香液，此花始開。