Oh, were you ne'er a schoolboy,
噢，还记得你曾是个小男生吗？
And did you never train,
还记得你曾日夜操练，
And feel that swelling of the heart
感到血脉贲张满怀豪情，
You ne'er can feel again?
那种感觉如今已消失不见？
Did you never meet, far down the street,
难道你不曾在街边上，
With plumes and banners gay,
遇上挥舞鲜艳羽毛和旗帜的队伍，
While the kettle, for the kettledrum,
当作鼓的水壶咚咚敲着进行曲，
Played your march, march away?
伴随你行进的每一步？
It seems to me but yesterday,
似乎就在不久以前，
Nor scarce so long ago,
对我来说一切恍如昨日，
Since all our school their muskets took,
我们全都举着步枪，
To charge the fearful foe.
向着可怕的敌人冲刺。
Our muskets were of cedar wood,
那杉木做的步枪，
With ramrods bright and new;
带有簇新的推弹杆；
With bayonets forever set,
刺刀固定在枪上，
And painted barrels, too.
还有上了漆的枪管。
We charged upon a flock of geese,
我们向一群鹅发起攻击，
And put them all to flight,
吓得它们四处飞散。
Except one sturdy gander,
除了一只强壮的雄鹅，
That thought to show us fight.
想要和我们决一死战。
But, ah! we knew a thing or two;
可是，啊！我们可精于此道，
Our captain wheeled the van;
我们的首领冲在前面；
We routed him, we scouted him,
我们打得它落荒而逃，大肆嘲笑，
Nor lost a single man!
而我军一个人都没不见！
Our captain was as brave a lad
我们的队长是个勇敢的小伙子，
As e'er commission bore;
就像委任状上写的那样；
And brightly shone his new tin sword;
他头戴纸帽，
A paper cap he wore.
亮出新的铁剑闪闪发光。
He led us up the steep hillside,
他带领我们爬上陡峭的山坡，
Against the western wind,
猎猎西风迎面而来，
While the cockerel plume that decked his head
他头上插着的公鸡羽毛，
Streamed bravely out behind.
迎风飘扬的样子多么豪迈。
We shouldered arms, we carried arms,
我们扛枪上肩，我们全副武装，
We charged the bayonet;
我们把刺刀都装上；
And woe unto the mullein stalk,
毛蕊花茎不幸遭了殃，
That in our course we met!
谁叫它挡在我们奔跑的路上！
At two o'clock the roll we called,
两点钟我们就点名集合，
And till the close of day,
一直玩到夜幕降临，
With fearless hearts, though tired limbs,
我们投入模拟的战斗，
We fought the mimic fray,
心无所畏惧，手脚却筋疲力尽，
Till the supper bell, from out the dell,
直到树林外面传来晚饭的呼唤，
Bade us march, march away.
迫使我们踏步走出树林。
