Where the path closed

在道路

down and over,

被堵塞了的地方，

through the scumbled leaves,

我踏过暗淡的叶子，

fallen branches,

坠落的枝条，

through the knotted catbrier,

以及盘根错节的猫藤，

I kept going. Finally

继续向前。最后

I could not

我的胳膊

save my arms

被荆棘

from thorns; soon

划伤，很快

the mosquitoes

蚊子们

smelled me, hot

围着我，闷热

and wounded, and came

伤痛，我感到

wheeling and whining.

天旋地转，

And that"s how I came

这是我

to the edge of the pond:

到达池塘的经过：

black and empty

黑暗而空虚

except for a spindle

惟有一管被水泡白的

of bleached reeds

芦苇

at the far shore

躺在远处的岸边

which, as I looked,

当我正看着那里时，

wrinkled suddenly

水面突然荡起波纹

into three egrets - - -

三只白鹭——

a shower

一束

of white fire!

白色的火焰！

Even half-asleep they had

即使半睡半醒，它们

such faith in the world

对这个造就了它们的世界

that had made them - - -

也如此信任——

tilting through the water,

倾斜着飞过水面，

unruffled, sure,

安静，确定，

by the laws

借助它们的信仰法则

of their faith not logic,

而不是逻辑，

they opened their wings

它们温柔地张开

softly and stepped

翅膀，滑过

over every dark thing.

每一件黑暗的事物。