After we had loved each other intently,

在专注地爱过彼此之后，

we heard notes tumbling together,

我们听到音符纷然飘坠

in late winter,  and we heard ice

在这个晚冬，我们听到

falling from the ends of twigs.

冰凌从树梢上逐一坠落。

The notes abandon so much as they move.

音符飘动时抛弃了许多许多。

They are the food not eaten, the comfort

那都是从未被吃的食物，无人

not taken, the lies not spoken.

享用的舒适，没有说出的谎言。

The music is my attention to you.

音乐是我对你的倾情专注。

And when the music came again,

而当音乐在一日将尽时分

later in the day, I saw tears in your eyes.

再次缭绕，我看见你的眸中

I saw you turn your face away

噙着泪。我看到你转过脸，

so that the others would not see.

躲开了众人可能的目光。

When men and women come together,

当男男女女走到一起，

how much they have to abandon! wrens

他们得放弃许多许多！

make their nests of fancy threads

燕雀用彩色丝绳和线头

and string ends, animals

编织巢穴，而在每个冬季

abandon all their money each year.

动物都得放弃它们的财富。

What is it that men and women leave?

人间男女要留下的该是什么？

Harder than wrens’ doing, they have

他们比燕雀更加难以取舍，

to abandon their longing for the perfect.

因为必须放弃对于完美的渴求。

The inner nest not made by instinct

内在的巢穴，若非由本能营造，

will never be quite round,

便决不会显得圆满无缺，

and each has to enter the nest

而每个人必须进入的巢穴

made by the other imperfect bird.

必然由另一只远非完美的鸟儿建造。