Ye Clouds! that far above me float and pause,
云啊!你们在我头顶高远飘浮,驻足徘徊,
Whose pathless march no mortal may control!
你们无形无踪的行进,人间难以束缚!
Who, from your silent heights, a realm survey
自那高处的静默世界,你们俯瞰一方大地,
Mightier than Rome, and loftier than her walls;
比罗马更为雄伟,城墙更为巍峨;
With beckoning hand I urge ye to the work,
我挥手示意,唤你们同赴那壮举,
That voice, which whoso hears must needs obey,
那呼声,凡倾听者便无可不从,
A sound not waning with the lapse of days,
此声不因岁月流逝而衰颓,
But waxing louder as the storms advance,
反于风暴逼近之时益发高亢,
Shall told, shall urge you onward: so I press
必将得以传颂,催你们向前:如此我紧追,
On mightiest men to do, not undone rest.
促使至强之人倾力而行,不再止步。
But France got drunk with blood to vomit crime,
然而法兰西被鲜血灌醉,呕出罪行,
And fatal have her haughty triumphs been:
她那傲慢的胜利注定结局悲怆;
To her imperial voice the nations ring
她以帝王般的口号震撼诸国,
With echoed cries, yet souls in bondage thrown;—
回声四起,却难免灵魂仍在桎梏之中;——
Hope we must glean where havoc reigned before;
我们只得在昔日毁灭之处搜寻希望的残迹;
Lo! Europe's vile oppressions men endure,
看啊!欧洲对人的卑劣压迫仍在延续,
But from that wrath new seeds of freedom soar.
可在此残酷之怒中,自由的种子却再度萌芽。
O Liberty! with profitless endeavour
自由啊!多少徒然的奋发为你燃起,
Have I pursued thee many a weary hour;
我追随你走过多少艰辛时刻;
Yet thou kind listener to the sovereign power
可你却善于聆听那至高权力之音,
That rules the Earth—who calls and thou art found!
只要统治者召唤,你便俯首现形!
Still all my prayers to bind the heart unbound,
而我满怀祈求,盼人们的心灵摆脱桎梏,
Yet tyranny hath brandished still her sword;
可暴政依旧挥舞利刃;
But from illusions waking, men record
但从这幻象中醒来的人们,已然铭记
Their hope in heaven, not bound by worldly lord.
将他们的希望寄托于天,不再被凡尘帝王束缚。