雙語賞析《新月集》第6期:睡眠偷竊者 Sleep Stealer

WHO stole sleep from baby's eyes? I must know.
Clasping her pitcher to her waist mother went to fetch water from the village near by.
It was noon. The children's playtime was over; the ducks in the pond were silent.
The shepherd boy lay asleep under the shadow of the banyan tree.
The crane stood grave and still in the swamp near the mango grove.
In the meanwhile the Sleep-stealer came and, snatching sleep from baby's eyes, flew away.
When mother came back she found baby travelling the room over on all fours.
Who stole sleep from our baby's eyes? I must know. I must find her and chain her up.
I must look into that dark cave, where, through boulders and scowling stones, trickles a tiny stream.
I must search in the drowsy shade of the bakula grove, where pigeons coo in their corner, and fairies' anklets tinkle in the stillness of starry nights.
In the evening I will peep into the whispering silence of the bamboo forest, where fireflies squander their light, and will ask every creature I meet, "Can anybody tell me where the Sleep-stealer lives?"
Who stole sleep from baby's eyes? I must know.
Shouldn't I give her a good lesson if I could only catch her!
I would raid her nest and see where she hoards all her stolen sleep.
I would plunder it all, and carry it home.
I would bind her two wings securely, set her on the bank of the river, and then let her play at fishing with a reed among the rushes and water-lilies.
When the marketing is over in the evening, and the village children sit in their mothers' laps, then the night birds will mockingly din her ears with:
"Whose sleep will you steal now?"

誰從孩子的眼裏把睡眠偷了去呢？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，孩子們遊戲的時間已經過去了；池中的鴨子沉默無聲。
牧童躺在榕樹的蔭下睡着了。
白鶴莊重而安靜地立在檬果樹邊的泥澤裏。
就在這個時候，偷睡眠者跑來從孩子的兩眼裏捉住睡眠，便飛去了。
當媽媽回來時，她看見孩子四肢着地地在屋裏爬着。
誰從孩子的眼裏把睡眠偷了去呢？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裏張望，在這個洞裏，有一道小泉從圓的有皺紋的石上滴下來。
我一定要到醉花①林中的沉寂的樹影裏搜尋，在這林中，鴿子在它們住的地方咕咕地叫着，仙女的腳環在繁星滿天的靜夜裏丁當地響着。
我要在黃昏時，向靜靜的蕭蕭的竹林裏窺望，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麼地方？”
誰從孩子的眼裏把睡眠偷了去呢？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麼地方。
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，然後叫她拿一根蘆葦在燈心草和睡蓮間釣魚為戲。
黃昏，街上已經收了市，村裏的孩子們都坐在媽媽的膝上時，夜鳥便會譏笑地在她 耳邊説：
“你現在還想偷誰的睡眠呢？”