A soldier of the Legion lay dying in Algiers;

There was lack of woman's nursing, there was dearth of woman's tears;

But a comrade stood beside him, while his life-blood ebbed away,

And bent, with pitying glances, to hear what he might say.

The dying soldier faltered, as he took that comrade's hand,

And he said: “I never more shall see my own, my native land:

Take a message and a token to some distant friends of mine;

For I was born at Bingen—at Bingen on the Rhine.

“Tell my brothers and companions, when they meet and crowd around,

To hear my mournful story, in the pleasant vineyard ground,

That we fought the battle bravely; and when the day was done,

Full many a corse lay ghastly pale beneath the setting sun.

And amidst the dead and dying were some grown old in wars—

The death-wound on their gallant breasts, the last of many scars;

But some were young, and suddenly beheld life's morn decline;

And one had come from Bingen—fair Bingen on the Rhine.

“Tell my mother that her other sons shall comfort her old age,

And I was aye a truant bird, that thought his home a cage;

For my father was a soldier, and, even as a child,

My heart leaped forth to hear him tell of struggles fierce and wild;

And when he died, and left us to divide his scanty hoard,

I let them take whate'er they would, but kept my father's sword;

And with boyish love I hung it where the bright light used to shine,

On the cottage-wall at Bingen—calm Bingen on the Rhine!

Tell my sister not to weep for me, and sob with drooping head,

When the troops are marching home again, with glad and gallant tread;

But to look upon them proudly, with a calm and steadfast eye,

For her brother was a soldier too, and not afraid to die.

And if a comrade seek her love, then ask her in my name

To listen to him kindly, without regret or shame;

And to hang the old sword in its place (my father's sword and mine),

For the honour of old Bingen—dear Bingen on the Rhine!

“There's another—not a sister: in the happy days gone by,

You'd have known her by the merriment that sparkled in her eye;

Too innocent for coquetry—too fond for idle scorning! —

O friend, I fear the lightest heart makes sometimes heaviest mourning!

Tell her the last night of my life (for ere this moon be risen

My body will be out of pain—my soul be out of prison

I dreamed I stood with her, and saw the yellow sunlight shine

On the vine-clad hills of Bingen—fair Bingen on the Rhine

“I saw the blue Rhine sweep along; I heard, or seemed to hear,

The German songs we used to sing in chorus sweet and clear;

And down the pleasant river, and up the slanting hill,

That echoing chorus sounded, through the evening calm and still;

And her glad blue eyes were on me, as we passed with friendly talk

Down many a path beloved of yore, and well-remembered walk;

And her little hand lay lightly, confidingly in mine; —

But we'll meet no more at Bingen—loved Bingen on the Rhine!”

His voice grew faint and hoarser; his grasp was childish weak;

His eyes put on a dying look; he sighed, and ceased to speak:

His comrade bent to lift him, but the spark of life had fled;

The soldier of the Legion in a foreign laud—was dead!

And the soft moon rose up slowly, and calmly she looked down

On the red sand of the battle-field, with bloody corses strown;

Yea, calmly on that dreadful scene her pale light seemed to shine,

As it shone on distant Bingen—fair Bingen on the Rhine!

—Caroline Norton.

Words

comfort,soothe.

comrade,companion.

confidingly,trustfully.

coquetry,flirtation.

decline,fall away.

faltered,trembled.

foreign,distant.

merriment,happiness.

mournful,sad.

scanty,meager.

steadfast,unwavering.

truant,wandering.

軍團中一名戰(zhàn)士在阿爾及爾奄奄一息，

沒有女性的護理，也沒有女人為他流下眼淚；

當他的生命跡象在衰退，只有一名戰(zhàn)友站在他身旁，

他俯下身，憐惜地凝望，聽他說話。

奄奄一息的戰(zhàn)士顫抖著，握住戰(zhàn)友的手，

他說：“我再也見不到我自己的祖國，

請向我遠方的朋友們帶去我的信息，

因為我出生在賓根——萊茵河畔的賓根。

“告訴我的兄弟和同伴，當他們聚于一處，

在歡愉的葡萄園中，聆聽我哀傷的過往；

我們勇猛地戰(zhàn)斗，日子就這樣過去，

眾多尸體沉寂在落日之下。

在已死與將死的人們之中，一些人在戰(zhàn)爭中老去，

他們身上的最后一處傷痕，是死亡刻在他們勇敢的胸膛；

另一些人如此年輕，但在生命的黎明時分凋零，

其中一人便來自于賓根——萊茵河畔美麗的賓根。

“告訴我的母親，我的兄弟們會代替我照顧年邁的她，

我就像一支逃脫牢籠的小鳥；

父親是名軍人，當我還是個孩子，

我的心沉浸于他講的故事里，那些激烈的戰(zhàn)斗；

當他去世，讓我們兄弟分割他的所剩積蓄，

他們拿走了其他所有，但我留下了父親的劍；

懷著少年的情懷，我將它掛在曾熠熠生輝的高墻，

在那賓根的茅舍里的高墻——萊茵河畔安詳的賓根！

“告訴我的姐妹不要為我哭泣，也不要垂下頭嗚咽，

當部隊再次踏著歡愉的步伐來到我們的家鄉(xiāng)；

她只要驕傲地望著他們，用平靜、堅定的眼神，

因為他的兄弟也是一名戰(zhàn)士，對于死亡毫不畏懼；

若一名士官追求她，并向她追問起我的姓名，

讓她認真傾聽，不要悲傷或者羞愧；

讓她將父親與我共有的那柄劍掛在原處，

為了賓根的榮耀——萊茵河畔的賓根！

“還有另外一個重要的人，但并非也是我的姐妹，

在那些逝去的日子里，你會看到她眼睛里歡快的光亮；

她如此單純樂觀，不會賣弄風情，也不會蔑視懶惰！

朋友，我真害怕些許沉重的哀傷會傷害她的心靈！

告訴她在我生命的最后一天，在月亮升起之前，

我的身軀再也不會感受到疼痛，我的靈魂再不會受到羈絆。

我夢想著站在她的身旁，看著金黃的陽光，

照耀在賓根藤蔓覆蓋的山上——萊茵河畔的美麗賓根。

“我看到蔚藍的萊茵河流淌著，我聽到了，似乎能夠聽到，

我們過去愉快地合唱著德國之歌，如此悅耳清晰；

沿著歡愉的河流，在傾斜的山頂，

歌聲在這里回蕩，回蕩在靜謐的夜里；

她幽蘭色的眼睛愉快地望著我，友好的交談就這樣過去，

我們過去愛在一條幽徑漫步，每一次都讓我難以忘記；

她的小手輕輕地放在我的手里，飽含著對我的信任；

然而我們將不會重逢在賓根——萊茵河畔我摯愛的賓根?！?

他的聲音逐漸微弱、沙啞，他抓住同伴的手也開始變得無力，

他的眼神渙散著死亡的無神，他嘆息著，不再說話；

戰(zhàn)友俯下身子去扶他，但他的生命之光卻在逐漸消退；

這個年輕的戰(zhàn)士死在了他鄉(xiāng)！

溫柔的月亮緩緩升起，平靜地照耀著大地，

照亮了戰(zhàn)場血紅的地面，這里布滿了戰(zhàn)士們的血肉之軀；

他蒼白的目光變得平靜，灑在這片死亡之地，

如它照耀在遙遠的賓根——萊茵河畔美麗的賓根！

——卡洛琳·諾頓