世界民谣(37)山谷里的灯火

【大纪元12月21日讯】“山谷里的灯火”照字面的直译，应该是“山谷里该点灯的时候”（When It’s Lamp Lighting Time in the Valley ）。这首歌是在1933 年由英国流浪汉合唱团（The Vagabonds）所唱红的一首歌，歌词的大意是描述一个远在异乡的浪子怀念着住在山谷里的母亲，随后陆续又有几位不同的歌星演唱过这首歌，再被翻译成不同的语言，所以就出现了不同的版本。

山谷里的灯火歌词：

There’s a lamp shining bright in the cabin

In the window it’s shining for me.

I know Mother sits waiting and praying

For the boy that she’s longing to see.

When it’s lamp lighting time in the valley

Then in dreams I go back to my home.

I can see that old lamp in the window

It will guide me where ever I roam.

In the lamplight each night I can see her

As she rocks in her chair to and fro’

Tho’ she prays that I’ll come back to see her

Still I know that I never can go.

Now she lights up that lamp and sits waiting

She knows not the deeds I have done.

But I’ll change all my ways and go see her

Up in Heaven when life’s race is run.

When it’s lamp lighting time in the valley

And the shadows of night gently fall

It is then that I long for the valley

And I miss you, Mother dear, most of all.



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譬如，在1935年，瑞典作曲家赫尔斯充（Nils Hellstrom）改写的歌词中，灯改成了蜡烛，虽然歌词中没有其它关于耶诞节的词组只字，但是由于蜡烛的暗示太强烈了，这首歌就变成为一首耶诞歌曲，而且还流行了好多年。

也许是歌词中有一句描述到游子返乡探母无望，所以有的歌迷认为这是一首美国西部一个死囚表达对母亲的思念之情，但是也有歌迷认为写的是从欧陆移民到美国的异乡游子 。不过子女对年迈双亲的孺慕之情，举世皆然，一首能得到共鸣的歌曲，必定是能反映出人心里最纯真的感情，也一定耐得起时间和距离的考验。@*

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