I

1

Clear water in a brilliant bowl,

清冽的水，晶亮的碗，

Pink and white carnations. The light

粉红的洁白的康乃馨。光，

In the room more like a snowy air,

更像是一抹雪意，返照

Reflecting snow. A newly-fallen snow

雪之光。新雪在地，使

At the end of winter when afternoons return.

冬末的日子复得了下午。

Pink and white carnations - one desires

粉红的洁白的康乃馨——人的欲望

So much more than that. The day itself

升起。而白昼本身却

Is simplified: a bowl of white,

变得简单：一碗白色的冷，一碗

Cold, a cold porcelain, low and round,

冷瓷器本身，低低的浑圆，

With nothing more than the carnations there.

盛着不多于康乃馨的空白。

II

2

Say even that this complete simplicity

即使这终极的简单

Stripped one of all one's torments, concealed

剥脱了人之苦，隐匿了

The evilly compounded, vital I

复合的蓬勃的我，使其

And made it fresh in a world of white,

焕然一新，在这洁白世界，这

A world of clear water, brilliant-edged,

有着晶亮的围边的清水之境，

Still one would want more, one would need more,

人还是企盼更多，需要更多

More than a world of white and snowy scents.

超越了满是雪香的白世界。

III

3

There would still remain the never-resting mind,

还会有那孜孜不倦的心智，

So that one would want to escape, come back

使人想逃回到

To what had been so long composed.

那些老早的构思里。

The imperfect is our paradise.

不完美才是我们的天堂。

Note that, in this bitterness, delight,

记住，尽管苦楚，只要

Since the imperfect is so hot in us,

不完美在我们内部燃烧，

Lies in flawed words and stubborn sounds.

快乐就会莅临笨拙的诗行。