经典英文歌曲《巴比伦河》背景

那是公元前586年，巴比伦国王尼布甲尼撒二世征服了耶路撒冷一带的犹太王国，摧毁了犹太人位于锡安山上的神庙。Zion就是“锡安山”（也有人认为Zion指的是圣城耶路撒冷，其实异曲同工，指的都是故乡的意思）。

巴比伦人将犹太人驱赶到巴比伦去，在巴比伦河边上强迫犹太人唱起欢乐的歌，但是背井离乡、颠沛流离同时丧失了自由的的犹太人哪里有心思在陌生的地方唱歌跳舞呢？于是残暴的巴比伦奴隶主就砍掉了犹太俘虏的双手。

于是犹太人不得不在异域星空下潸然泪下，用心中所念，口中之词，唱诵其对主的赞美和对自由的渴望。

这首歌欢快的节奏是献给征服者的，但是歌词却是记录在自己悲惨的苦难历史，所以流传数千年。

喂，你写错了吧，这首歌不是上世纪70、80年代的流行曲吗？怎么流传数千年呢？

其实这首歌的歌词大部分出自圣经《诗篇》的第137章，流传至今已逾数千年。

世界上，任何一段历史可以被歪曲，但只要未被抹杀，那么总有卷土重来的一天，就像《巴比伦河》。

RIVER OF BABYLON

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.

When the wicked

Carried us away in captivity

Required from us a song

Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land

When the wicked

Carried us away in captivity

Requiering of us a song

Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land

Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart

be acceptable in thy sight here tonight

Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts

be acceptable in thy sight here tonight

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.

By the rivers of Babylon (dark tears of Babylon)

there we sat down (You got to sing a song)

ye-eah we wept, (Sing a song of love)

when we remember Zion. (Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)

By the rivers of Babylon (Rough bits of Babylon)

there we sat down (You hear the people cry)

ye-eah we wept, (They need that ??)

when we remember Zion. (Ooh, have the power)