The tongue of the waves tolled in the earth’s bell.

巨浪的舌头在陆地的大钟里缓慢地敲。

Blue rippled and soaked in the fire of blue.

蓝色泛起涟漪，湿透在蓝色的火焰中。

The dried mouthbones of a shark in the hot swale

热乎乎的沼泽地里，鲨鱼张开的嘴骨

Gaped on nothing but sand on either side.

枯干，左右什么都没有，唯有沙土。

The bone tasted of nothing and smelled of nothing,

骨头尝不到任何味道，闻不出任何气味，

A scalded toothless harp, uncrushed, unstrung.

一把烧灼的口琴，无簧，完好，散了架。

The joined arcs made the shape of birth and craving

互连的弧线呈现出生产与渴望的形状，

And the welded-open shape kept mouthing O.

那焊接成的敞开一直保持O形的开口。

Ossified cords held the corners together

石化的肉绳索将不同角落系到一起，

In groined spirals pleated like a summer dress.

将腹股沟似的螺旋褶皱像一件夏裙。

But where was the limber grin, the gash of pleasure?

然而那敏捷的笑唇，那欢悦的裂口呢？

Infinitesimal mouths bore it away,

无数张极小的嘴钻进它，将它吃尽，

The beach scrubbed and etched and pickled it clean.

擦刮、蚀刻、酸洗，海滩干干净净。

But O I love you it sings, my little my country

我爱你啊，它唱到，小小的，我的国，

My food my parent my child I want you my own

我的食物我的父母我的孩子我要我自己的你

My flower my fin my life my lightness my O.

我的花我的鳍我的生命我的轻盈，我的O。