一、
When I was a child, my homesick was a small stamp
Linking Mum at the other end and me this.
小时候，乡愁是一枚小小的邮票，
我在这头，母亲在那头。
When I grew up, I remained homesick, but it became a ticket.
By which I sailed to and from my bride at the other end.
长大后，乡愁是一张窄窄的船票，
我在这头，新娘在那头。
Then homesickness took the shape of the grave,
Mum inside of it and me outside.
后来啊!乡愁是一方矮矮的坟墓，
我在外头，母亲在里头。
Now I’m still homesick, but it is a narrow strait
Separating me on this side and the mainland on the other.
而现在，乡愁是一湾浅浅的海峡，
我在这头，大陆在那头。
二、
In my childhood,
Homesickness was a small stamp.
I was here.
And my mother was over there:
When I grew up,
Homesickness was a narrow ship-ticket.
I was here
And my bride was over there:
And then
Homesickness was a small tomb.
With me outside
And my mother inside:
But now,
Homesickness is a shallow strait.
I am on this side.
And the mainland is on the other side
三、
When I was a child, Nostalgia seemed a small stamp:
"Here am I and there ……my mother."
Then I was a grown-up, Nostalgia became a traveling ticket:
"Here am I and there……my bride."
During the later years, Nostalgia turned to be a graveyard:
"Here am I and yonder……my mother."
And now at present, Nostalgia looms large to be a channel:
"Here am I and yonder……my Continent!"
赏析
1、作者把无形的乡愁比喻化为四种事物,可见作者愁思之重.小时候，作者将乡愁寄托在给家人的书信里'所以将乡愁比喻为邮票;长大后，作者和家人分居两地，很难与家人相见，于是将乡愁寄托在回家的船上，所以把乡愁比喻为船票;后来，母亲去世，作者与母亲再也不能见面，于是作者就将乡愁比喻为坟墓;现在，由于人为的原因，海峡两岸的.同胞不能团聚，作者将自己的乡愁比喻为台湾海峡，表达了他期盼祖国统一的强烈愿望。
2、结构方面：本诗分四个小节，前三个小节为最后一个小节做铺垫。作者按照时间顺序将乡愁依次比喻为邮票、船票、坟墓和海峡，结构严谨，很好的表达了本诗的中心。 台湾诗人余光中先生以“乡愁诗人”著称，他的一首意蕴深刻，家喻户晓的《乡愁》更是写出了海外游子的思归之情，洋溢着诗人魂牵梦绕的“中国情结”。