I

1

It is calm.

很安静。

It is as though

像是我们

we lived in a garden

曾住在一座园子里

that had not yet arrived

那善与恶

at the knowledge of

的认知还没有

good and evil.

到来。

But there is a man in it.

但有一个男人在其中。

II

2

There will be

将有雨

rain falling vertically

垂落

from an indifferent

从寻常的

sky. There will stare out

天空。那人的脸

from behind its

会从它的窗栏

bars the face of the man

后面凝望，

who is not enjoying it.

他不喜欢这雨。

III

3

Nothing higher

没有什么高过

than a blackberry

一个黑莓

bush. As the sun comes up

树丛。当太阳

fresh, what is the darkness

初升，那从地平线

stretching from horizon

延伸向地平线的

to horizon? It is the shadow

黑暗是什么？是荫影

here of the forked man.

那个叉状男人的。

IV

4

We have eaten

我们已经吃掉

the blackberries and spat out

那些黑莓并吐出了

the seeds, but they lie

籽，但它们躺着

glittering like the eyes of a man.

闪亮如一个男人的眼睛。

V

5

After we have stopped

当我们停住

singing, the garden is disturbed

歌唱，园子荡起了

by echoes. It is

回声。是那个

the man whistling, expecting

男人在吹口哨，期待着

everything to come to him.

一切为他来临。

VI

6

We wipe our beaks

我们在树枝上

on the branches

擦抹嘴巴

wasting the dawn's

徒耗黎明的

jewellery to get rid

珠宝去清除

of the taste of a man.

一个男人的味道。

VII

7

Nevertheless,

尽管如此，

which is not the case

没啥大不了的

with a man, our

只是一个人，我们的

bills give us no trouble.

账单不会带来麻烦。

VIII

8

Who said the

谁说过这

number was unlucky?

数字不吉利？

It was a man, who,

是一个男人，那个

trying to pass us,

试图避开我们的，

had his licence endorsed

他曾使自己的许可被获准

thirteen times.

十三次。

IX

9

In the cool

天起凉风

of the day the garden

的时候那园子

seems given over

似乎交给了

to blackbirds. Yet

乌鸦。然而

we know also that somewhere

我们也知道某处

there is a man in hiding.

藏着一个男人。

X

10

To us there are

对于我们，有

eggs and there are

蛋就有

blackbirds. But there is the man,

乌鸦。但那人在此，

too, trying without feathers

竟也，试图无羽

to incubate a solution.

而孵出方案。

XI

11

We spread our

我们伸展

wings, reticulating

翅膀，盘旋于

our air space. A man stands

自己的领空。一个男人站在

under us and worries

我们之下痴想

at his ability to do the same.

能做同样的事情。

XII

12

When night comes

每当夜晚降临

like a visitor

如来自太空

from outer space

的访客

we stop our ears

我们就闭塞耳朵

lest we should hear tell

免得听到讲说

of the man in the moon.

那个月光中的男人。

XIII

13

Summer is

夏天到

at an end. The migrants

头了。候鸟

depart. When they return

离去。当它们开春

in spring to the garden,

返回这园子时，

will there be a man among them?

可会有一个男人在它们当中？