Waltzing Matilda

中学时代是在科技还不发达的八十年代，没有卫星电视、沒有罔际罔络，连电台也不多选择。那时候 ，每天晚上都会准时扭开收音机的短波频道(SW)，收听国外的电台。

而我最常停留的就是澳广（Radio Australia）的普通话和广东话节目，每天晚上各有一小时，内容有新闻、时事、点歌及排行榜。今天重点不是要介绍澳广，而是每天在节目开始的时候都会播出一段澳洲的民谣音乐。每晚听，所以对这首歌印象特别深刻。之后负笈袋鼠国，才知道这首民谣是每个澳洲人都会唱的一首歌，地位媲美国歌，每次在公开的重要场合，常常是正经八百的国歌唱完后，紧接着就唱这首歌，尤其是橄榄球比赛开始的前奏。

这首歌叫Waltzing Matilda，是一位叫'Banjo Patterson的人于1895年在听闻剪羊毛工人罢工的事件后，写下的，配上当时流行的舞曲而广受欢迎。歌词大意是描述饥饿的流浪工人偷宰了到池边喝水的羊，当警察来找他时，他宁愿投池而死也不愿被捕，死后灵魂徘徊池边哼这首歌。此曲能在澳洲家传户曉，可能是歌颂了自由不羁的精神，很吻合澳洲人崇尚自由和豪放的性格。

在2000年悉尼奥运会的闭幕礼就是以这首民谣作为谢幕，当时整个体育馆的十万人一起歌唱这首歌。


听这首民谣之前，认识几个独特的词汇 ：
billabong 是一個很深的水池。
coolibah tree 是一種澳洲樹的名字。
waltzing matilda 是流浪漢給他行襄取的名字。
jumbuck 是指羊。
tuckergag 是指裝食物的袋子。
troopers 以前是指騎兵-也是現在的警察啦!



Waltzing Matilda 歌词

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,
"You'll never take me alive", said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."