Turn, turn, my wheel! Tis nature's plan, the child should grow into the man, the man grow wrinkled, old, and gray;
转啊,转,我的轮子!这是大自然的造化,小孩会长成大人,大人会布满皱纹,满头花白又衰朽;
In youth the heart exults and sings, the pulses leap, the feet have wings; In age the cricket chirps, and brings the harvest home of day.
年轻时意气风发歌声高亢,脉搏劲跳,脚上长了翅膀;年老时耳鸣眼花,正是人生的收获之秋。
Turn, turn, my wheel! The human race, of every tongue, of every place, Caucasian, Coptic, or Malay,
转啊,转,我的轮子!人类说形形色色语言,来自各个地方,高加索、科普特或马来,
all that inhabit this great earth, whatever be their rank or worth, are kindred and allied by birth, and made of the same clay.
都生活在这个大星球上,不论他们属于什么社会阶层,闻达也好无名也罢,从出生就有亲缘和联系,由同样的泥土而成。
Turn, turn, my wheel! What is begun at daybreak must at dark be done, tomorrow will be another day;
转啊,转,我的轮子!在拂晓开始做的事情,必须在天黑完成;
Tomorrow the hot furnace flame will search the heart and try the frame, and stamp with honor or with shame, these vessels made of clay.
明天那熔炉的火焰会搜寻心灵,把束缚摆脱,用荣誉或者羞耻之心在泥做的器皿上盖上封印。
Stop, stop, my wheel! Too soon, too soon, the noon will be the afternoon, too soon today be yesterday;
停吧,停,我的轮子!太快了,太快了,中午转瞬午后,今朝既成往昔;
Behind us in our path, we cast the broken potsherds of the past, and all are ground to dust at last, and trodden into clay.
我们身后自己走过的路上,昨日陶瓷碎片一地,所有的一切终将化为尘土,踩进泥里。