By the Rivers of Babylon We Sat Down and Wept

Lord George Gordon Byron
1

We sat down and wept by the waters

Of Babel, and thought of the day

When our foe, in the hue of his slaughters,

Made Salem's high places his prey;

And ye, oh her desolate daughters!

Were scattered all weeping away.

2

While sadly we gazed on the river

Which rolled on in freedom below,

They demanded the song; but, oh never

That triumph the stranger shall know!

May this right hand be withered for ever,

Ere it string our high harp for the foe!

3

On the willow that harp is suspended,

Oh Salem! its sound should be free;

And the hour when thy glories were ended

But left me that token of thee:

And ne'er shall its soft tones be blended

With the voice of the spoiler by me!

在巴比伦的河边我们坐下来哭泣
拜伦

一

在巴比伦的河边我们坐下来

悲痛地哭泣，我们想到那一天

我们的敌人如何在屠杀叫喊中，

焚毁了撒冷的高耸的神殿：

而你们，呵，她凄凉的女儿!

你们都号哭着四散逃散。

二

当我们忧郁地坐在河边

看着脚下的河水自由地奔流，

他们命令我们歌唱;呵，绝不!

我们绝不在这事情上低头!

宁可让这只右手永远枯瘦，

但我们的圣琴绝不为异族弹奏!

三

我把那竖琴悬挂在柳梢头，

噢，撒冷!它的歌声该是自由的;

想到你的光荣丧尽的那一刻，

却把你的这遗物留在我这里：

呵，我绝不使它优美的音调

和暴虐者的声音混在一起!

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