大地的深處升起一盞燈

From deep earth, a lamp rises

沒有穿越泥土的屋頂

to the ceiling of the mud-colored house

從黑暗中來，加倍珍惜那黑暗

claimed from darkness, a darkness valued twice

謙卑地讓幾個馬鈴薯聚攏歇息

for these potatoes ripened in hardship,

穿過死亡，艱難地成熟

humbly gathered, now at rest.

叉子下馬鈴薯散放自身的光輝

Beneath the fork, they glow,

當它膨大，飢餓萎縮，憐憫中變得圓滿

expanding in the light, starving hunger, their mercy

映照陰影裏疲倦的面孔

lustering these weary, soil-knowing faces,

加倍光明，那些懂得泥土的

doubling the light upon clay bowls,

杯子，陶壺，耙著生活的砂石的手

the teapot, hands that rake life’s stones.

你苦味的壺斟著斟著茶杯就滿了

Bitter tea brims the cup,

你成熟的果實要求手指的枝條彎向大地

this too the labor of fingers bent toward earth

你眼中兩點火焰幽冷地發芽

like branches, the flames in their eyes

你明白辛苦，你為她遞來一杯茶

dim, cold, hard as their toil.

They pass the cup.

啊，他們在開放的生命中全神栽進溝壟

生根是容易的，抓著泥土直到完成

How they dig, head down, the furrows;

那樣艱難，那樣渴求鬆弛

how the roots reach through earth,

而成熟只能在堅忍中等待

firm, waiting for release.

那些眼神，已累得無法承托另一個眼神

All these wait with patience,

too spent to suffer my gaze.

我呢一個觀者，手指輕易翻過另一頁畫冊

敲敲門又離開。不必交融的，我也有自己的鋤

Easy for me to turn the page,

俯身向一塊文字的荒田，挖掘，更深地挖掘

answer the doorbell,

生命在勞動，望著泥屋中一隻隻閃光的手

leave. My own hoe delves

有期待的喜悅也有苦澀

a weedy field of words,

digging deep, hands shining

in this earthen house,

its joy, its hope, its bitterness.