The house is so still when you are away,
The furniture assumes a listening air;
The figured cretonne, bright and crisp andgay,
Droops at the window, and the clocksdeclare
Time’s passage with a low, half-hiddensign.
But when you cross the threshold, all iswell-
A new content, a welcome, seems to lie
On all familiar things. You break the spellof silence,
And the copper kettle sings.
The fire, in a low and vibrant tone,
Whispers, and Time’s pendulum still swings,
But in happier, lighter monotone.
Strange that the house and I both seem toawait
Only your step, your hand upon the gate!
-Eleanor Alletta Chaffee
你不在的時候
你不在的時候，
這屋子是如此靜寂，
家具都在默默的諦聽，
本來明淨歡欣的窗簾，
現在頹喪地垂在窗前，
落地鐘也以低沉、隱忍的嘆息，
報導時光的逝去。
可是當你跨過門檻，一切都變了！
你所熟悉的一切，都在歡迎你，
它們重又感到歡欣鼓舞。
你打破了沉默的封鎖，
水壺在歡唱，
爐火也輕盈地搖曳，似乎在低訴什麼。
時間的鐘擺照常搖晃著，
可是調子是如此快樂，輕鬆。
好奇怪！
這屋子和我，
都在等待你的腳步聲，
等待你的手敲門。
－EleanerAllentta Caffee
