The Chimney Sweeper 掃煙囪孩子(二)

--William Blake --威廉.布萊克

The Chimney Sweeper is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence and of Experience in 1794. It is located early in Songs of Experience, between The Little Girl Found and Nurse’s Song. This poem is best understood when read in conjunction with the corresponding poem, The Chimney Sweep, in the Songs of Innocence.

The first stanza is a testimony that describes the situation of a little chimney sweeper in the snow who is crying and calling for his parents while they are praying at the church. In the second and third stanzas, the child explains his situation. He describes that he had been happy and “smiled among the winter snow,” but also he was taught to suffer when he says “and taught me to sing the notes of woe.” Adults are mentioned in the poem when he questioned “Where are thy father and mother?” and when he says “God & his Priest & King.” Finally he blames “they” and adds “who make up a heaven of our misery.”

The poem is pictured by an engraving made by Blake himself. It shows the child walking along a street, it is a rainy day and he is alone. Furthermore, the boy is barefoot and dirty. With his right hand he is holding a brusher and is carring a dirty, big bag on his back. The rain is particularly dark. The final point is that the child is looking at the storm with what it seems a sad expression in his face.

A little black thing among the snow: 風雪里一個滿身烏黑的小東西

Crying weep, weep, in notes of woe! “號呀，號”在那里哭哭啼啼!

Where are thy father & mother? say? “你的爹娘上哪兒去了，你講講?”

They are both gone up to the church to pray. “他們呀都去禱告了，上了教堂。

Because I was happy upon the heath, “因為我原先在野地里歡歡喜喜，

And smil’d among the winters snow: 我在冬天的雪地里也總是笑嘻嘻,

They clothed me in the clothes of death, 他們就把我拿晦氣的黑衣裳一罩，

And taught me to sing the notes of woe. 他們還叫我唱起了悲傷的曲調。

And because I am happy & dance & sing, “因為我顯得快活，還唱歌，還跳舞，

They think they have done me no injury: 他們就以為并沒有把我害苦，

And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King, 就跑去贊美了上帝、教士和國王，

Who make up a heaven of our misery. 夸他們拿我們苦難造成了天堂。”