So what said the others and the sun went down

太阳落山，苍茫的暮色泛起蓝光，

And, in the brown blues of evening, the lady said.

别人的话无所谓，但夫人的话却

In the donkey’s ear, “I fear that elegance

在这毛驴耳中缭绕：“我担心

Must struggle like the rest.” She climbed until

优雅也得挣扎，跟俗物一样。”她攀登着，

The moonlight in her lap, mewing her velvet,

直到膝上的月光汇合她的天鹅绒，

And her dress were one and she said, “I have said no

与她的裙色融为一体。她说：“我拒绝了

To everything, in order to get at myself.

一切，为的是保全自己。

I have wiped away moonlight like mud. Your innocent ear

我把月光抹掉如泥迹。你无邪的耳朵

And I, if I rode naked, are what remain.”

是我的所有，如果我一丝不挂地奔走。”

The moonlight crumbled to degenerate forms,

月光崩碎成低劣的形迹，当她

While she approached the real, upon her mountain.

来到山顶，接近那崇高的黑暗里的

With lofty darkness. The donkey was there to ride.

真实。毛驴仍可骑，耳朵

To hold by the ear, even though it wished for a bell.

也可用以制动，虽然驴儿想要的铃铛，

Wished faithfully for a falsifying bell.

一心想要一只做假的铃铛。

Neither the moonlight could change it. And for her.

月光也改变不了它。而就她而言，

To be, regardless of velvet, could never be more

活着，就是活着而已，不管天鹅绒，她

Than to be, she could never differently be.

只能这样而不能别样地活着，

Her no and no made yes impossible.

她的否定之否定变成了肯定的可能。

Who was it passed her there on a horse all will.

那是谁，那骑着马离她远去的？

What figure of capable imagination?

是哪种强霸的想象的喻体？

Whose horse clattered on the road on which she rose,

谁的马在她的来路上脆响，奔下

As it descended, blind to her velvet and

山去，对她的天鹅绒，对月光

The moonlight? Was it a rider intent on the sun,

无动于衷？是不是一个专注于太阳的骑手，

A youth, a lover with phosphorescent hair,

一个青年，一个头发散发磷光的情人

Dressed poorly, arrogant of his streaming forces.

穿着寒酸，因澎湃的活力而狷狂，

Lost in an integration of the martyrs’ bones.

迷恋烈士的遗骨，从真实之境

Rushing from what was real; and capable?

奔骋而下，而且如此强霸？

The villages slept as the capable man went down.

山村在熟睡，当这强霸者奔骋而下，

Time swished on the village clocks and dreams were alive.

时间鞭醒了村里的座钟，使梦喧哗，

The enormous gongs gave edges to their sounds.

使剧烈的锣声充满棱角和边锋。

As the rider, no chevalere and poorly dressed,

而这骑手，穿着寒酸，也无头衔，

Impatient of the bells and midnight forms,

厌恶着钟声和夜半的踪迹，奔骋于

Rode over the picket rocks, rode down the road.

嶙峋的巉石间，绝尘而去，

And, capable, created in his mind.

强霸的，可能的夺魁者，因为从

Eventual victor, out of the martyrs’ bones.

他的内心，从烈士的遗骨，他创造了

The ultimate elegance: the imagined land.

那最终的优雅：那个想象的王国。