Modest and shy as a nun is she,
雌鳥羞澀得像位修女,
One weak chirp is her only note;
偶爾低聲地唧喳兩聲,
Braggart and prince of braggarts is he,
夫君卻是自吹自擂的王子,
Pouring boasts from his little throat:
頗為自豪地不停叫喚,
Bobolink, Bobolink,
食米鳥,食米鳥,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯賓克,斯潘克,斯賓克,
Never was I afraid of man,
我可從來不怕人,
Catch me, cowardly knaves, if you can.
無賴!流氓!有膽你就放馬過來,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。
Six white eggs on a bed of hay,
干草上,六只白色的蛋,
Flecked with purple, a pretty sight!
紫色的斑點,溫潤美麗,
There as the mother sits all day,
媽媽整天地孵坐窩里,
Robert is singing with all his might:
父親快樂地吐露心聲,
Bobolink, bobolink,
食米鳥,食米鳥,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯賓克,斯潘克,斯賓克,
Nice good wife that never goes out,
盡職的母親從不挪窩,
Keeping house while I frolic about.
我卻在一邊玩耍嬉戲,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。
Soon as the little ones chip the shell,
雛鳥們很快破殼而出,
Six wide mouths are open for food;
六只嗷嗷小嘴盼著食物,
Robert of Lincoln bestirs him well,
羅伯特.林肯抖擻精神,
Gathering seeds for the hungry brood..
銜來草籽喂養(yǎng)待哺的寶貝,
Bobolink, bobolink,
食米鳥,食米鳥,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯賓克,斯潘克,斯賓克,
This new life is likely to be hard for a gay young fellow like me.
新出世的雛鳥們,今后或許像我同樣艱難辛苦,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。
Robert of Lincoln at length is made
羅伯特.林肯變了模樣,
Sober with work, and silent with care;
精心地照料孩子不再歌唱,
Off is his holiday garment laid,
它脫下假日漂亮的盛裝,
Half forgotten that merry air:
忘卻快樂的和煦陽光,
Bobolink, bobolink,
食米鳥,食米鳥,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯賓克,斯潘克,斯賓克,
Nobody knows but my mate and I
除了我們夫妻倆,
Where our nest and our nestlings lie.
沒人知道孵蛋的小窩搭在哪,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。
Summer wanes; the children are grown;
夏天過去,雛鳥們已長大,
Fun and frolic no more he knows;
不再只知道嬉戲玩耍,
Robert of Lincoln's a humdrum crone;
老伴變得干癟無趣,
Off he flies, and we sing as he goes:
羅伯特飛走時,歌謠依然在唱,
Bobolink, bobolink,
食米鳥,食米鳥,
Spink, spank, spink,
斯賓克,斯潘克,斯賓克,
When you can pipe that merry old strain,
風(fēng)笛吹響,古老迷人的曲調(diào),
Robert of Lincoln, come back again.
羅伯特終于飛回來了,
Chee, chee, chee.
唧,唧,唧。