Once when I was very young,

with a twinkling in my eye,

I looked at life with a curious view as the days rolled slowly by.

I listened with the ear of a child to the sounds of birds in flight.

And shivered ’neath my covers when the dark snuffed out the light.

But in the lazy days of summer when the daylight lingered on,

We played our game of hide-and-go-seek and daydreamed on the lawn.

The summer nights were spent with friends when we tried with all our might to fight away the webs of sleep,

and wait for dawn’s first light.

These golden days are long past now,

I’ve grown into a man,

But the memories of childhood, my childhood,

I still hold in my hand.

I’ve given trains, and traded them for others,

like work and aches and pains,

But in my mind I wonder if I could go back still

And relive those days of misspent youth,

summer’s peaceful hills,

 

我年輕時

眼神也曾閃爍著光芒

儘管時光緩慢流逝 對人生仍充滿好奇

我用稚氣的耳朵 聆聽著鳥語清音

當黑暗奪走光明 我躲進被窩顫抖

但在慵懶的夏日 日光總逗留不去

我們玩著捉迷藏 草地上做白日夢

夏夜與好友同樂 強抗睡意的襲擊

靜待破曉的曙光

黃金歲月不復返

我早已長大成人

但兒時的回憶呀

我那珍貴的童年

我仍緊握在手中

我送出我的火車 與別人交換火車

就像工作、痛苦與辛勞

但我是否能再回到過去

重新度過那些荒唐青春

在艷夏的寧和山丘上頭

喔！我年輕時

眼神也曾閃爍著光芒

儘管時光緩慢流逝 對人生仍充滿好奇