死神干了多少活啊，

How much death works,

谁都不知道他度过了一个

No one knows what a long

多么漫长的白昼。娇小的

Day he puts in. The little

妻总是独自

Wife always alone

熨着死神的浆洗好的衣裳。

Ironing death’s laundry.

美丽的女儿们

The beautiful daughters

正在布置死神的晚餐桌子。

Setting death’s supper table.

邻居在后院

The neighbors playing

玩皮纳克尔牌戏，

Pinochle in the backyard

或者只是坐在台阶上

Or just sitting on the steps

喝啤酒。这时，

Drinking beer. Death,

死神在城市的特殊

Meanwhile, in a strange

部位寻找一个

Part of town looking for

咳嗽得很厉害的人，

Someone with a bad cough,

但是地址搞错了，

But the address is somehow wrong,

连死神也不能在那些上了锁的

Even death can’t figure it out

门中间算计出它的位置……

Among all the locked doors ...

何况又下雨了。

And the rain beginning to fall.

前方是狂风大作的茫茫黑夜，

Long windy night ahead.

死神甚至没有一张报纸

Death with not even a newspaper

遮一下脑袋，没有

To cover his head, not even

一枚小钱去叫醒那个憔悴的，

A dime to call the one pining away,

慢吞吞脱下衣服，昏昏欲睡，

Undressing slowly, sleepily,

赤条条在床板的死亡一侧

And stretching naked

摊开肢体的人。

On death’s side of the bed.