Go inside a stone

进入一块石头

That would be my way.

那才是我的方式。

Let somebody else become a dove

让其他人变成鸽子

Or gnash with a tiger's tooth.

或者用老虎的牙齿嘶咬。

I am happy to be a stone.

我乐意做一块石头。

From the outside the stone is a riddle:

从外面看，石头是一个谜：

No one knows how to answer it.

没人知道怎样去解答。

Yet within, it must be cool and quiet

然而里边，它必定安静而冷酷

Even though a cow steps on it full weight,

即便一头牛以全副重量踩上去，

Even though a child throws it in a river;

即使一个孩子将它扔进河里，

The stone sinks, slow, unperturbed

石头缓慢地，沉落到

To the river bottom

河底，安然自若，

Where the fishes come to knock on it

鱼儿们过来敲敲

And listen.

并聆听。

I have seen sparks fly out

我见过两块石头

When two stones are rubbed,

摩擦时飞出的火花。

So perhaps it is not dark inside after all;

因此，或许它里面终究并不黑暗；

Perhaps there is a moon shining

或许有一个月亮从某处

From somewhere, as though behind a hill—

发光，仿佛在一座小山后——

Just enough light to make out

光亮仅仅够辨认

The strange writings, the star-charts

那些奇异的文字——星星将它们

On the inner walls.

绘制在内壁上。