I have your words, that you put down on paper,

你把說話寫在紙上送給我

but nothing at hand to return, so I write down

我沒有甚麼可送，寫下：

papaya

「木瓜！」切開來，那麼多

. I cut one open: so many

點點黑色的不確定的東西

dark points, so many undefined things.

你說過喜歡吃，但我不知道

You said you love papaya, but how do I know

話說出以後有沒有改變了主意

you haven’t changed since you said it?

我每次買了木瓜放在冰箱裏

Every time I bring one home to the refrigerator

總碰上你不在，是言語的問題

you are not around. Is language the problem

還是木瓜的問題？我祗能從

or papaya? I can only choose

眼見的青黃色的瓜皮上去挑選

among the greenish-yellow skins;

我祗能在那個青黃色的層次上

I have to respond to that greenish-yellow skin

回答，並不知道你裏面還有甚麼

before knowing what you expect inside.

裏面是什麽？認定是甜甜的瓜肉

Can’t we trust inside is sweet melon flesh?

依普通常識都知道了，剖開來

It’s only common sense. Then we cut it

卻總出現了纍纍的種籽，你不

and see only seeds that you hate.

喜歡，你說最好甚麼也沒有

You say it’s better to find nothing,

不要牽連了甚麼，黏著了揮不去

better to avoid complications you can’t get rid of.

有時又捉摸不住不知滑往何方

They are hard to get hold of, slippery. They shoot everywhere.

不要有那麼多糾纏，不要說

Better not to get entangled. Better just don’t say

那麼多話，我們吃無言的木瓜

so many words. Let’s have our papaya without words.

好，好！但總有甚麼在嘴裏

Sure, but there’s still this stuff in the mouth

咀嚼，吐出一個詞：木瓜

that we chew and spit out: papaya.

你抗議了，說我說了太多話

Immediately you protest that one word too many;

表皮斑駁，瓤里充滿象徵

its skin is motley and its pulp thick with suggestions.

不，真的，我祗是想與你

Forget it, then; I only want to make time,

好好的吃個木瓜，但你我過去

to dine on papaya with you. I can’t help it,

吃過的木瓜在眼前這個木瓜裏

all the past papayas we’ve had are, of course, in this one too.

剖開來又看見了許多新的種籽

Slice it and here we are again, in a world of fresh seeds.