原版歌词
Old man river
There is an old man called Mississippi,
That's the old man I don't like to be.
What does he care if the world' d got troubles,
What does he care if the land ain' t free.
Don' t look up, and don' t look down !
You don't just make the white boss frown,
Bend your knees and bow your head,
And pull that rope until you're dead!
Let me go way from the Mississippi,
Let me go way from the white man boss.
Show me that stream call de river Jordan,
Dat de old stream dat I long to cross.
Old man river,
Dat old man river!
He must know something,
But don't say nothing.
He just keeps rolling,
He keeps on rolling along.
He don' t plant tatoes,
He don' t plant cotton,
And dem dat plant'em is soon forgotten,
But old man river,
He just keeps rolling along.
You and me we sweat and strain,
Body all aching and rocked wid pain.
Tote dat barge and lift dat bale,
Get a little drunk and you'll land in jail.
But I keep laughing instead of crying,
I must keep fighting until I'm dying,
But old man river,
He just keeps rolling along.
译文 （我只有这个最终版本）
黑人劳动在密西西比河上，
黑人劳动白人来享乐，
黑人工作到死不得休息,
从早推船直到太阳落.
白人工头多凶恶，
且莫乱动招灾祸，
弯下腰低下头，
我拉起纤绳把船拖。
让我快快离开白人工头，
快快离开密西西比河。
请你告诉我那个地方，
我要渡过古老的约旦河。
老人河，啊，老人河！
你知道一切，但总是沉默，
你滚滚奔流，你总是不停地流过。
他不种番薯也不种棉花，
那耕种的人早被人遗忘。
但老人啊，你总是不停地流过。
我们流血又流汗，
浑身酸痛受折磨，
为了免得坐监牢，
还要拉船扛包裹。
我们这样地痛苦疲倦，
既害怕死亡，又厌倦生活。
但老人河啊！你总是不停地流过。