我知道笼中的鸟儿为何歌唱 

作者：玛雅·安吉罗

译者：鹤潜

踏着风的肩膀

自由的鸟儿飞驶而上。

在气流的簇拥下

她优美地滑翔，

羽翼上洒满了金色的阳光。

蓝天，是她的故乡。

另一只鸟儿

被囚在狭小的笼中，

看不见太阳。

她被缚了双脚、剪了翅膀。

笼中的鸟儿呀，

只能放声歌唱。

她用颤抖的歌声，

唱着莫名的向往。

那渴望自由的旋律

在远方的山谷中久久回荡。

自由的鸟儿在惬意地遐想，

来阵微风该是多么神清气爽；

季风柔和地吹拂，树枝轻声地哼唱；

碧绿的草地上，肥美的虫儿

在黎明的晨光里候着她。

哇，真是至高无上。

笼中的鸟儿呀，

却站在理想的坟墓上，

弯曲的身影仿佛噩梦在哭唤。

她，僵了双腿，折了翅膀，

只能放开喉咙，泣声歌唱。

她用凄婉的歌声，

颂咏着未知的梦想。

在那远方的山谷中,

她渴望自由的旋律

久久地、久久地回荡……

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Written by: Maya Angelou

The free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wings

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings

with fearful trill

of the things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn

and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird