A little black thing among the snow,
Crying “weep! ’weep!” in notes of woe!
“Where are thy father and mother? Say!”
“They are both gone up to the church to pray.
Because I was happy upon the heath,
And smil’d among the winter’s snow,
They clothed me in the clothes of death,
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.
And because I am happy, and dance and sing,
They think they have done me no injury,
And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King,
Who make up a heaven of our misery.”
诗歌解析
这首诗出自威廉·布莱克（William Blake）的《经验之歌》（Songs of Experience），通过一个在雪地中哭泣的“黑色小身影”——扫烟囱的童工，揭示了18世纪英国社会底层儿童的悲惨命运。
“黑色”象征着被煤灰覆盖的身体，也暗示了纯真被社会制度玷污；而“雪”则代表纯洁与寒冷的现实形成强烈对比。父母去教堂祈祷，却将孩子送入苦难，讽刺了宗教与权威对压迫的默许甚至共谋。
布莱克以孩童之口质问：为何快乐竟成了罪过？这首诗是对社会不公、虚伪道德和制度性冷漠的有力控诉。