This dust on the bookshelves, who can say

我也不知道書架上的灰塵

where it's from, how it entered the world,

從哪裏來，它們怎樣出生，

how long it's been here.

怎樣遷徙，在書本上生活多久了，

Years, some of it. Some yesterday,

有些可能已有幾年，有些昨天才到，

some just now. One quick swipe

還有些剛在幾分鐘前抵達，

with fate's paper towel, then the trash,

但此刻被我用除塵紙一抹，

tomorrow's truck, the hauling off.

便爬上它們通往另一種命運的交通工具：

我把除塵紙放進垃圾袋裏，

明天會有卡車將它們運走。