使如此多祈禱者和世代耗盡體力的

In the Romanesque church round stones

羅馬式教堂裏的圓形石頭

that ground down so many prayers and generations

繼續讓謙卑的寂靜和陰影沉睡在半圓形小室裏

kept humble silence and shadows slept in the apse

如同冬天裏裹著裘皮的蝙蝠。

like bats in winter furs.

我們走出來。蒼白的太陽照耀，

We went out. The pale sun shone,

微小的音樂輕柔地

tinny music tinkled softly

從一輛汽車裏丁丁傳來，兩隻松鴉

from a car, two jays

研究我們──人類，

studied us, humans,

渴望的絲線在空氣中晃蕩。

threads of longing dangled in the air.

當下這個時刻不知羞恥，

The present moment is shameless,

在這座疲憊而古老的

taking its foolish liberties

聖所墻邊

beside the wall

愚蠢地冒險，

of this tired old shrine,

等待幾百萬年抵達，

awaiting the millions of years to come,

還有未來戰爭、地理年代、

future wars, geological eras,

停火、條約、氣候變化──

cease-fires, treaties, changes in climate—

這個時刻──它是什麽──只是

this moment—what is it—just

一隻蚊子，一隻蒼蠅，一個斑點，一縷呼吸，

a mosquito, a fly, a speck, a scrap of breath,

然而它到處接管，

and yet it’s taken over everywhere,

進入膽怯的青草，

entering the timid grass,

占據葉莖和基因，

inhabiting stems and genes,

我們眼睛裏的瞳孔。

the pupils of our eyes.

這個如同你我一樣會死的時刻

This moment, mortal as you or I.

充滿無邊、無意義、

was full of boundless, senseless,

傻乎乎的歡樂，彷彿它知道些

silly joy, as if it knew

我們不知道的事情。

something we didn’t.