When death comes

当死亡到来

like the hungry bear in autumn;

像秋天里饥饿的熊；

when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

当死亡到来，拿出他钱包里所有明晃晃的硬币

to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;

收买我，啪地合上钱包，

when death comes

当死亡到来

like the measle-pox

像麻诊痘，

when death comes

当死亡到来

like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

像肩胛之间的冰山，

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:

我想跨过门，充满好奇地想着

what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

将会是什么样子，那黑暗小屋？

And therefore I look upon everything

因此，我看万物

as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,

犹如兄弟姐妹，

and I look upon time as no more than an idea,

我看时间——不过一念，

and I consider eternity as another possibility,

我把永恒看作另一种可能，

and I think of each life as a flower, as common

我把每个生命看作一朵花，平常

as a field daisy, and as singular,

如一朵野地的雏菊，惟一，

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,

把每个名字看作口中令人舒畅的音乐，

tending, as all music does, toward silence,

如同所有的音乐，倾向寂静，

and each body a lion of courage, and something

把每个身体看作一头勇敢的狮子，大地

precious to the earth.

珍爱的某种事物。

When it's over, I want to say all my life

当它结束，我想说：整个一生

I was a bride married to amazement.

我都是一个嫁给了“惊奇” 的新娘。

I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

都是那个新郎，把世界揽入怀中。

When it's over, I don't want to wonder

到结束时，我不想疑惑

if I have made of my life something particular, and real.

我是否度过了特别、真实的一生。

我不想看自己叹息，恐惧，

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,

或是充满争辩。

or full of argument.

我不想只是在这个世界上走了一遭，就结束。

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.