麗思的部落格

中文版

英文版

【大紀元12月21日訊】「山谷裡的燈火」照字面的直譯，應該是「山谷裡該點燈的時候」（When It's Lamp Lighting Time in the Valley ）。這首歌是在1933 年由英國流浪漢合唱團（The Vagabonds）所唱紅的一首歌，歌詞的大意是描述一個遠在異鄉的浪子懷念著住在山谷裡的母親，隨後陸續又有幾位不同的歌星演唱過這首歌，再被翻譯成不同的語言，所以就出現了不同的版本。

山谷裡的燈火歌詞：

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.

譬如，在1935年，瑞典作曲家赫爾斯充（Nils Hellstrom）改寫的歌詞中，燈改成了蠟燭，雖然歌詞中沒有其它關於耶誕節的片語隻字，但是由於蠟燭的暗示太強烈了，這首歌就變成為一首耶誕歌曲，而且還流行了好多年。

也許是歌詞中有一句描述到遊子返鄉探母無望，所以有的歌迷認為這是一首美國西部一個死囚表達對母親的思念之情，但是也有歌迷認為寫的是從歐陸移民到美國的異鄉遊子 。不過子女對年邁雙親的孺慕之情，舉世皆然，一首能得到共鳴的歌曲，必定是能反映出人心裡最純真的感情，也一定耐得起時間和距離的考驗。@*