I can make out a rigging of a schooner a mile off;

我能辨认出一英里外

I can countthe new cones on the spruce.

纵帆船上的绳缆；我能清点

It is so stillthe pale bay wears a milky skin,

云杉上新生的球果。苍蓝港湾

the skyno clouds,

如此宁谧，披着乳色肌肤，空中

except for one long, carded horse’s-tail.

无云，除了一条绵长的、篦好的马尾。

The islands haven’t shifted since last summer,

群岛自上个夏天起就不曾漂移，

even if I like to pretend they have–drifting,

即使我愿意假装它们已移位

in a dreamy sort of way,

——凫游着，如梦似幻，

a little north, a little south or sidewise,

向北一点儿，向南一点儿或微微偏向

and that they’re free within the blue frontiers of bay.

并且在海湾的蓝色界限中是自由的。

This month, our favorite one is full of flowers:

这个月，我们钟爱的一座岛上鲜花盛开：

Buttercups, Red Clover, Purple Vetch,

毛莨、朝颜剪秋罗、深紫碗豆花，

Hawkweed still burning, Daisies pied, Eyebright,

山柳菊仍在灼烧，雏菊斑斓，小米草，

the Fragrant Bedstraw’s incandescent stars,

馥郁的蓬子菜那白热的星辰，

and more, returned, to paint the meadows with delight.

还有更多花朵重返，将草甸涂抹得欢快。

The Goldfinches are back, or others like them,

金翅雀归来，或其他类似的飞禽，

and the White-Throated Sparrow’s five-note song,

白喉雀五个音节的歌谣，

pleading and pleading, brings tears to the eyes

如泣如诉，把眼泪带入眼中。

Nature repeats herself, or almost does:

大自然重复自身，或几乎是这样：

repeat, repeat, repeat; revise, revise,revise.

重复、重复、重复；修改、修改、修改。

Years ago, you told me it was here

多年以前，你告诉我是在此地

(in 1932?) you first “discovered girls”

(1932年？) 你第一次“发现了姑娘们”

and learned to sail, and learned to kiss.

学会驾驶帆船，学会亲吻。

You had “such fun”, you said, that classic summer.

你说你享受了“这般乐趣”，在那经典夏日。

(“Fun”—it always seemed to leave you at loss…)

(“乐趣”——它似乎总让你茫然失措……)

You left North Haven, anchored in its rock,

你离开北海芬，沉锚于它的礁石，

afloat in mystic blue… And now—

漂浮在神秘的蓝色之上……现在你——你已

you’ve leftfor good.

永远离开。你不能再次打乱或重新安排

You can’t derange, or re-arrange,your poems again.

你的诗篇。(鸟雀们却可以重谱它们的歌。)

(But the Sparrows can their song.)

词语不会再变。悲伤的朋友，你不能再改。

The words won’t change again. Sad friend, you cannot change.