William Stafford 1914-1993
Ask Me 1975
Some time when the river is ice ask me 當河水結冰時問我
mistakes I have made. Ask me whether 曾犯啥錯或是問我
what I have done is my life. Others 這生中曾做過什麼
have come in their slow way into 有些人以他們緩慢方式
my thought, and some have tried to help 進入我思想,試著幫忙
or to hurt—ask me what difference 或是傷害,問我有何不同
their strongest love or hate has made. 在他們炙烈情仇所為下
I will listen to what you say. 我將傾聽你說的一切
You and I can turn and look 你和我能夠轉身回看
at the silent river and wait. We know 靜靜河邊等待 我們知道
the current is there, hidden; and there 現在這裡被隱藏著
(hidden暗喻冰下水流動)
are comings and goings from miles away 不遠千里來了又走
that hold the stillness exactly before us. 恰巧承載寂靜於我們之前
What the river says, that is what I say. (這句不用翻吧,自己看就懂)
沒有生字,我第一次讀就喜歡上這首.
無需解釋.意境老氣了點,但平靜無波下
暗潮洶湧是不言而喻的.
William Carlos Williams 1883-1963
This Is Just To Say 1934
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
D.H. Lawrence 1885-1930
Piano 1918
Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;
Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.
In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song
Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong
To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside
And hymns in the cozy parlor, the tinkling piano our guide.
So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamor
With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour
Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
Down in the flood if remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.
James Reeves 1909-1978
Rough Weather 1972
To share with you this rough, divisive weather 與你分享這混亂分裂氣候
And not to grieve because we have to share it, 不必悲傷啊 因我們共享過
Desire to wear the dark of night together 齊在闇晚宣洩的慾望裡
And feel no colder that we do not wear it, 逐漸消失的寒意
Because sometime my sight of you is clearer, 因為視線更清晰看見你
The memory not clouded by the sense, 記憶得以撥雲顯現
To know that nothing now can make you dearer 知道沒任何東西能更親近
Than does the close touch of intelligence, 更隱密接觸智慧
To be the prisoner of your kindnesses 成為你仁慈的俘虜
And tell myself I want you to be free, 告誡自己不約束你
To wish you here with me despite all this, 願你在此不顧世俗與我一起
To wish you here, knowing you cannot be— 願你在此,明知不可為……
This is a way of love in our rough season, 這是我倆暴烈季節裡愛的方式
This side of madness, the other side of reason. 如此失序,又如此唯一的理由
e.e.cummings 1894-1962
somewhere i have never travelled
Somewhere I have never travelled, gladly beyond 某地未曾遊覽,愉悅地超越
any experience, your eyes have their silence: 任何經驗,你眼中有他們寂靜
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,你微弱手勢中有些事物圍繞我
or which I cannot touch because they are too near 或因太近而無法觸碰
your slightest look easily will unclose me 只要你輕微眼神就能揭露我
though I have closed myself as fingers, 僅管我像拳頭一樣握緊
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens你像春天似的使我逐漸綻放為
(touching skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose (接觸精巧地,不可言傳)第一朵玫瑰
or if your wish be to close me, I and 或如果你願靠近我,我和
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly, 我的生活將突然美麗合攏起來
as when the heart of this flower imagines 如同隨著花蕊臆想
the snow carefully everywhere descending; 白雪仔細下降在每一處
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals世上沒任何事可理解等同於
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture 你強烈脆弱的能力:它的本質
compels me with the colour of its countries, 使我不得不以各種顏色
rendering death and forever with each breathing 描繪死亡及永恆相生相息
(I do not know what it is about you that closes (我不知如何陳述你的隱蔽
and opens; only something in me understands 和開朗;唯獨一件事是清楚
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses) 你眼裡聲音比所有玫瑰更深厚)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands 沒人有如此細緻的手,雨都沒有
文章定位：
