When I thought it was right to name my desires,

当我以为命名我的渴望是正确的，

what I wanted of life, they seemed to turn

我对生活的期盼，却像咩咩叫的羊群般，

like bleating sheep, not to me, who could have been

不朝向我，一个

a caring, if unskilled, shepherd, but to the boxed-in hills

也许笨拙，但是充满关怀的牧羊人，

beyond which the blue mountains sloped down

而是朝向那最远处被框住的山丘，

with poppies orange as crayfish all the way to the Pacific seas

在它前面，蓝色的山脉缓缓倾斜，

in which the hulls of whales steered them

遍布着像鳌虾一样橙色的罂粟花，一直延伸到太平洋

in search of a mate for whom they bellowed

在那里鲸鱼扭转着巨大的头颅在海中航行，

in a new, highly particular song

寻找伴侣，为之发出低沉的吼叫，

we might call the most ardent articulation of love,

一种崭新独特的歌声，

the pin at the tip of evolution,

我们或许可以称之为爱情最热烈的表达，

modestly shining.

进化顶端的针尖，

                                    In the middle of my life

低调地闪耀着。

it was right to say my desires

                  在我生命的中途，

but they went away. I couldn’t even make them out,

说出我的渴望是正确的，

not even as dots

但它们消失了。我甚至无法辨认它们，

now in the distance.

即使远处的光点也消失不见。

                                         Yet I see the small lights

                   然而，我看到了山丘上

of winter campfires in the hills—

冬日篝火的微弱灯光——

teenagers in love often go there

热恋中的青少年经常去那里

for their first nights—and each yellow-white glow

度过他们的第一个夜晚——每一束黄白色的光芒

tells me what I can know and admit to knowing,

都告诉我，我能知道，并承认我知道，

that all I ever wanted

我所渴求的一切，

was to sit by a fire with someone

就是与某人坐在火堆旁，

who wanted me in measure the same to my wanting.

他们也同样渴望我，如同我渴望他们。

To want to make a fire with someone,

希望与某人一起点燃火焰，

with you,

与你一起，

was all.

就是全部。