"Will you walk a little faster?"

Said a whiting to a snail,

"There's a porpoise close behind us,

and he is treading on my tail. "

See how eagerly the lobsters

and the turtles all advance!

They are waiting on the shingle,

will you come and join the dance?

Will you, won't you join the dance?

 

"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be

when they take us out and throw us,

with the lobsters, out to sea! "

But the snail replied, 

"Too far!" and gave a look askance.

Said he thanked the whiting kindly,

but he would not join the dance.

Would not, could not, would not join the dance.

 

"What matters it how far we go?"

His scaly friend replied,

"There is another shore, you know,

upon the other side.

The further off from England,

the nearer is to France.

Then turn not pale, beloved snail,

but come and join the dance.

Will you, won't you, will you join the dance?

 

「走快一點好嗎？」

白鱈魚對蝸牛說白了， 

「我們身後有一隻海豚，

他正踩著我的尾巴。」

看看龍蝦如何急切

和烏龜前進！ 

他們在海邊正等著 

你會來參加舞會嗎？ 

你，你不來參加舞會嗎？

 

「他們將會抓起我們，扔進海裡，

連同龍蝦扔進海裡，可知那有多開心！」

但蝸牛回答說，

「太遠了！」並看了一眼。

他客客氣氣謝了白鱈魚，

但他不會參加舞會。 

不會，也不能，不會參加舞會。

 

「遠不遠有什麼關係？」

他的鱗狀朋友回答， 

「還有另一個岸，你知道，

在海的另一頭。

離英格蘭越遠，

離法國越近。

別嚇得臉色蒼白，親愛的蝸牛，

但是要來參加舞會。 

你，不會嗎，你會參加舞會嗎？