That it was shy when alive goes without saying.

那生來靦腆的，往往緘口離去。

We know it vanished at the sound of voices

它突然消失，隨著人語

Or footsteps. It took wing at the slightest noises,

或腳步聲，被最輕微的響動驚飛，

Though it could be approached by someone praying.

只允許祈禱者接近。

We have no recordings of it, though of course

我們沒有它的錄音，當然，

In the basement of the Museum, we have some stuffed

在博物館地下室裏，我們有填塞的

Moth-eaten specimens—the Lesser Ruffed

被蛾子蛀蝕的標本——小型領頜，

And Yellow Spotted—filed in narrow drawers.

黃斑雀——歸檔於狹窄的抽屜。

But its song is lost. If it was related to

但它的歌聲已遺失。它是否曾屬於

A species of Quiet, or of another feather,

一個叫「沉默」的物種，或其他羽類，

No researcher can know. Not even whether

研究員不得而知。說不定

A breeding pair still nests deep in the bayou,

尚有一對在沼澤深處築巢，

Where legend has it some once common bird

傳說它原是一種平常的鳥

Decades ago was first not seen, not heard.

幾十年前才絕跡，絕音。