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[美]Richard Kenney:《尾声》本诗刊载于2007年10月15日的《纽约客》杂志。
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Coda 尾声
by Richard Kenney
I tried lacing loss into these lines,
想要把失落镶进这些诗行,
thinking to bind it safely there.
将它紧紧绑缚在其间。
But when much lifetime had raced by I
但当人生疾驰而过,
saw rather
却发现
trapped in the scrag noose, too,
快乐与光明
joy and daylight.
也陷在这嶙峋的圈套里面。
I bottled also bile in these poems,
我还在这些诗里注入了胆汁,
thinking to isolate
想要隔离其中的
the toxin. But when much lifetime had raced by I
毒素。但当人生疾驰而过,
found it on the mantel.
却在壁炉架上将它发现。
I thought to lower these poems into a salt dome —
也想过把这些诗堆成矮矮的盐丘 -
stable, it’s said, for aeons.
据说,那就会永远稳固。
And who isn’t one?
谁又不是呢?
Once
也曾
I tried to write invisibly,
想在暗中默默写诗,
but all lifetime is a candle.
但人生始终是一支蜡烛。 |
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