English Original
And the people laughed and said, 'It is the King's fool who is riding by,' and they mocked him.
And he drew rein and said, 'Nay, but I am the King.' And he told them his three dreams.
And a man came out of the crowd and spake bitterly to him, and said, 'Sir, knowest thou not that out of the luxury of the rich cometh the life of the poor? By your pomp we are nurtured, and your vices give us bread. To toil for a hard master is bitter, but to have no master to toil for is more bitter still. Thinkest thou that the ravens will feed us? And what cure hast thou for these things? Wilt thou say to the buyer, "Thou shalt buy for so much," and to the seller, "Thou shalt sell at this price?" I trow not. Therefore go back to thy Palace and put on thy purple and fine linen. What hast thou to do with us, and what we suffer?'
'Are not the rich and the poor brothers?' asked the young King.
'Aye,' answered the man, 'and the name of the rich brother is Cain.'
And the young King's eyes filled with tears, and he rode on through the murmurs of the people, and the little page grew afraid and left him.
And when he reached the great portal of the cathedral, the soldiers thrust their halberts out and said, 'What dost thou seek here? None enters by this door but the King.'
And his face flushed with anger, and he said to them, 'I am the King,' and waved their halberts aside and passed in.
And when the old Bishop saw him coming in his goatherd's dress, he rose up in wonder from his throne, and went to meet him, and said to him, 'My son, is this a king's apparel? And with what crown shall I crown thee, and what sceptre shall I place in thy hand? Surely this should be to thee a day of joy, and not a day of abasement.'
'Shall Joy wear what grief has fashioned?' said the young King. And he told him his three dreams.
And when the Bishop had heard them he knit his brows, and said, 'My son, I am an old man, and in the winter of my days, and I know that many evil things are done in the wide world. The fierce robbers come down from the mountains, and carry off the little children, and sell them to the Moors. The lions lie in wait for the caravans, and leap upon the camels. The wild boar roots up the corn in the valley, and the foxes gnaw the vines upon the hill. The pirates lay waste the sea-coast and burn the ships of the fishermen, and take their nets from them. In the salt-marshes live the lepers; they have houses of wattled reeds, and none may come nigh them. The beggars wander through the cities, and eat their food with the dogs. Canst thou make these things not to be? Wilt thou take the leper for thy bedfellow, and set the beggar at thy board? Shall the lion do thy bidding, and the wild boar obey thee? Is not He who made misery wiser than thou art? Wherefore I praise thee not for this that thou hast done, but I bid thee ride back to the Palace and make thy face glad, and put on the raiment that beseemeth a king, and with the crown of gold I will crown thee, and the sceptre of pearl will I place in thy hand. And as for thy dreams, think no more of them. The burden of this world is too great for one man to bear, and the world's sorrow too heavy for one heart to suffer.'
'Sayest thou that in this house?' said the young King, and he strode past the Bishop, and climbed up the steps of the altar, and stood before the image of Christ.
He stood before the image of Christ, and on his right hand and on his left were the marvellous vessels of gold, the chalice with the yellow wine, and the vial with the holy oil. He knelt before the image of Christ, and the great candles burned brightly by the jewelled shrine, and the smoke of the incense curled in thin blue wreaths through the dome. He bowed his head in prayer, and the priests in their stiff copes crept away from the altar.
And suddenly a wild tumult came from the street outside, and in entered the nobles with drawn swords and nodding plumes, and shields of polished steel. 'Where is this dreamer of dreams?' they cried. 'Where is this King, who is apparelled like a beggar - this boy who brings shame upon our state? Surely we will slay him, for he is unworthy to rule over us.'
And the young King bowed his head again, and prayed, and when he had finished his prayer he rose up, and turning round he looked at them sadly.
And lo! through the painted windows came the sunlight streaming upon him, and the sunbeams wove round him a tissued robe that was fairer than the robe that had been fashioned for his pleasure. The dead staff blossomed, and bare lilies that were whiter than pearls. The dry thorn blossomed, and bare roses that were redder than rubies. Whiter than fine pearls were the lilies, and their stems were of bright silver. Redder than male rubies were the roses, and their leaves were of beaten gold.
He stood there in the raiment of a king, and the gates of the jewelled shrine flew open, and from the crystal of the many-rayed monstrance shone a marvellous and mystical light. He stood there in a king's raiment, and the Glory of God filled the place, and the saints in their carven niches seemed to move. In the fair raiment of a king he stood before them, and the organ pealed out its music, and the trumpeters blew upon their trumpets, and the singing boys sang.
And the people fell upon their knees in awe, and the nobles sheathed their swords and did homage, and the Bishop's face grew pale, and his hands trembled. 'A greater than I hath crowned thee,' he cried, and he knelt before him.
And the young King came down from the high altar, and passed Home through the midst of the people. But no man dared look upon his face, for it was like the face of an angel.
中文翻译
人们大笑着说：“骑马经过的是国王的小丑。”他们嘲弄着他。
他勒住缰绳说：“不，我就是国王。”然后他向他们讲述了自己的三个梦。
一个人从人群中走出来，尖刻地对他说：“先生，你难道不知道穷人的生活来源于富人的奢侈吗？正是你们的浮华养育了我们，你们的恶习给了我们面包。为一个苛刻的主人劳作是痛苦的，但没有主人可以为之劳作则更加痛苦。你以为乌鸦会喂养我们吗？对于这些事情，你有什么良方？你会对买主说‘你必须花这么多钱买’，对卖主说‘你必须按这个价格卖’吗？我想你不会。因此，回到你的宫殿，穿上你的紫袍和细麻衣吧。你与我们何干？与我们遭受的苦难何干？”
“富人和穷人难道不是兄弟吗？”少年国王问道。
“是的，”那人回答，“而那位富兄弟的名字叫该隐。”
少年国王的眼中充满了泪水，他在人们的低语声中继续骑行，小侍从感到害怕，离开了他。
当他到达大教堂宏伟的大门时，士兵们伸出戟，问道：“你在这里找什么？除了国王，没有人能从这个门进入。”
他气得满脸通红，对他们说：“我就是国王。”然后拨开他们的戟，走了进去。
当老主教看到他穿着牧羊人的衣服走来时，惊讶地从宝座上站起来，迎上前去，对他说：“我的孩子，这是国王的服饰吗？我该用什么王冠为你加冕，又该把什么权杖放在你手中？今天对你来说本应是欢乐的日子，而不是屈辱的日子。”
“欢乐应该穿上悲伤所造就的衣袍吗？”少年国王说。然后他向他讲述了自己的三个梦。
主教听完后，皱起眉头说：“我的孩子，我是个老人，已到暮年，我知道这广阔的世界里有许多邪恶之事。凶猛的强盗从山上下来，掳走小孩，卖给摩尔人。狮子埋伏等待商队，扑向骆驼。野猪拱翻山谷里的庄稼，狐狸啃咬山上的葡萄藤。海盗蹂躏海岸，烧毁渔民的船只，夺走他们的渔网。盐沼地里住着麻风病人；他们住在芦苇编的房子里，无人敢靠近。乞丐在城市里游荡，和狗一起吃食物。你能让这些事情不发生吗？你会让麻风病人做你的同床伴侣，让乞丐坐上你的餐桌吗？狮子会听你的命令，野猪会服从你吗？难道那创造苦难者不比你更有智慧吗？因此，我并不赞扬你所做的这件事，而是命令你骑马回宫，展露欢颜，穿上适合国王的衣袍，我将用金冠为你加冕，把珍珠权杖放在你手中。至于你的梦，别再想了。这个世界的重担不是一个人能承受的，世界的悲伤也不是一颗心能承受的。”
“你是在这圣殿里说这些话吗？”少年国王说，他大步走过主教身边，登上祭坛的台阶，站在基督像前。
他站在基督像前，左右两边是精美的金器，盛着黄酒的圣杯和装着圣油的瓶子。他跪在基督像前，巨大的蜡烛在宝石镶嵌的神龛旁明亮地燃烧着，香炉的烟雾如细小的蓝色花环般盘旋升入穹顶。他低头祈祷，穿着僵硬法衣的祭司们悄悄地从祭坛边退开。
突然，外面街上传来一阵狂乱的喧嚣，贵族们手持出鞘的剑，头戴摇曳的羽饰，手持光亮的钢盾，闯了进来。“那个做梦的人在哪里？”他们喊道。“那个穿得像乞丐的国王在哪里——这个给我们国家带来耻辱的男孩？我们一定要杀了他，因为他不配统治我们。”
少年国王再次低下头祈祷，祈祷完毕后，他站起身，转过身，悲伤地看着他们。
看哪！阳光透过彩绘玻璃窗倾泻在他身上，光束在他周围编织成一件长袍，比那件为取悦他而制作的长袍更加美丽。枯木杖开花了，开出比珍珠更白的百合花。干枯的荆棘开花了，开出比红宝石更红的玫瑰花。百合花比上好的珍珠更白，花茎是亮银色的。玫瑰花比上等的红宝石更红，叶子是纯金打造的。
他身着国王的衣袍站在那里，宝石神龛的门打开了，从多棱的水晶圣体匣中散发出奇妙而神秘的光芒。他身着国王的衣袍站在那里，上帝的荣光充满了整个地方，壁龛里雕刻的圣徒似乎都动了起来。他身着华美的国王衣袍站在他们面前，风琴奏出音乐，号手吹响号角，唱诗班的男孩们放声歌唱。
人们敬畏地跪下，贵族们收剑入鞘，表示敬意，主教的脸色变得苍白，双手颤抖。“一位比我更伟大的已经为你加冕了，”他喊道，并跪在他面前。
少年国王从高高的祭坛上走下来，穿过人群中间，走向王宫。但没有人敢看他的脸，因为那就像天使的面容。