Now when I was a young man I carried me pack 年輕時光，身跨背囊，

And I lived the free life of the rover. 身無羈絆，到處流浪，

From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback, 墨河翠綠，內陸塵揚，

Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over. 身跨背囊，找工飄蕩。

Then in 1915, my country said, "Son, 一九一五，國家召喚：

It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done." 別再遊蕩，有活要幹。

So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun, 給我鋼盔，給我火槍，

And they marched me away to the war. 如此這般，推上戰場；

And the band played "Waltzing Matilda," 樂隊演奏，瑪蒂爾達，

As the ship pulled away from the quay, 軍艦隆隆，離開海港，

And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears, 歡呼聲聲，旗幟飄揚，

We sailed off for Gallipoli. 熱淚陣陣，駛向疆場。

And how well I remember that terrible day, 恐懼一日，記憶如新，

How our blood stained the sand and the water; 鮮血染紅，海水沙灘，

And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay 人間地獄，蘇付拉灣，

We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter. 士兵羔羊，屠宰案板，

Johnny Turk, he was waitin', he primed himself well; 土耳其敵，等待時機，

He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell -- 子彈如雨，炮彈如雹。

And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell, 剎那時光，似至陰間，

Nearly blew us right back to Australia. 昏頭轉向，恍若回鄉。

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda," 樂隊演奏，瑪蒂爾達

When we stopped to bury our slain, 雙方停戰，掩埋同伴，

Well, we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs, 我埋我友，他埋他人，

Then we started all over again. 掩埋完畢，重新開戰。

And those that were left, well, we tried to survive 逝者已去，生者求存，

In that mad world of blood, death and fire. 血火毀亡，世界瘋狂，

And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive 疲倦十周，幾見閻王，

Though around me the corpses piled higher. 轉眼四看，屍橫滿眼，

Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head, 敵炮炸我，屁股朝天，

And when I woke up in me hospital bed 醒來一看，靜臥病床，

And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead -- 再看自身，寧願陣亡，

Never knew there was worse things than dying. 人生在世，死易生難。

For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda," 從此告別，瑪蒂爾達，

All around the green bush far and free -- 綠樹叢中，難再歡暢，

To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs, 支營搭帳，無腿幫忙，

No more "Waltzing Matilda" for me. 瑪蒂爾達，從此不唱。

So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed, 官府找到，重傷兵員，

And they shipped us back home to Australia. 全部登船，返回家園，

The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane, 瘸腿瞎眼，斷臂人殘，

Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla. 勇敢英雄，蘇付拉灣。

And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay, 軍艦抵達，環形海港，

I looked at the place where me legs used to be, 低頭一看，雙腳不見，

And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me, 感謝上蒼，無人等盼。

To grieve, to mourn and to pity. 可悲可慟，可惜可憐。

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda," 樂隊演奏，瑪蒂爾達

As they carried us down the gangway, 抬起傷兵，走下舷梯，

But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared, 無人歡呼，目瞪凝視，

Then they turned all their faces away. 慘不忍睹，埋頭噎泣。

And so now every April, I sit on my porch 年年四月，獨坐門廊，

And I watch the parade pass before me. 目睹隊伍，走過眼前。

And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march, 惜日戰友，自豪向前，

Reviving old dreams of past glory, 體驗以往，榮光夢想。

And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore, 行走緩慢，寸骨脆軟，


They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war 戰爭已忘，英雄氣短，

And the young people ask "What are they marching for?" 青年開言：遊行因緣？

And I ask meself the same question. 捫心自問，問題同樣。

But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda," 樂隊演奏，瑪蒂爾達

And the old men still answer the call, 老兵揮手，回應問候，

But as year follows year, more old men disappear 年復一年，戰友不見，

Someday, no one will march there at all. 終有一日，無人行進。

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda. 瑪蒂爾達，瑪蒂爾達，

Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me? 何人與我，瑪蒂爾達？

And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong,

走過水塘，孤魂吟唱，

Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me? 何人與我，瑪蒂爾達？


本詩作者艾瑞克‧包格爾(Eric Bogle)，詩寫於1970年代。澳洲和新西蘭每年都紀念澳新軍團節(ANZAC Day)，紀念1915年澳洲在土耳其格里玻利(Gallipoli)戰敗，但首先誕生國家意識，而非再是英國之殖民地之重要事件。開始翻譯時，本來想用新詩形式，但譯後不滿意。經過多次修改，成四字排句，並盡量保持押韻，但對仗難以兼顧。本詩配有音樂，可以吟唱；然譯文若以英文形式歌唱，則需再加潤色；可見翻譯不易；對‘一名之立，旬月踟躕’頗有同感－－譯者。