From deep earth, a lamp rises

大地的深處升起一盞燈

to the ceiling of the mud-colored house

沒有穿越泥土的屋頂

claimed from darkness, a darkness valued twice

從黑暗中來，加倍珍惜那黑暗

for these potatoes ripened in hardship,

謙卑地讓幾個馬鈴薯聚攏歇息

humbly gathered, now at rest.

穿過死亡，艱難地成熟

Beneath the fork, they glow,

叉子下馬鈴薯散放自身的光輝

expanding in the light, starving hunger, their mercy

當它膨大，飢餓萎縮，憐憫中變得圓滿

lustering these weary, soil-knowing faces,

映照陰影裏疲倦的面孔

doubling the light upon clay bowls,

加倍光明，那些懂得泥土的

the teapot, hands that rake life’s stones.

杯子，陶壺，耙著生活的砂石的手

Bitter tea brims the cup,

你苦味的壺斟著斟著茶杯就滿了

this too the labor of fingers bent toward earth

你成熟的果實要求手指的枝條彎向大地

like branches, the flames in their eyes

你眼中兩點火焰幽冷地發芽

dim, cold, hard as their toil.

你明白辛苦，你為她遞來一杯茶

They pass the cup.

啊，他們在開放的生命中全神栽進溝壟

How they dig, head down, the furrows;

生根是容易的，抓著泥土直到完成

how the roots reach through earth,

那樣艱難，那樣渴求鬆弛

firm, waiting for release.

而成熟只能在堅忍中等待

All these wait with patience,

那些眼神，已累得無法承托另一個眼神

too spent to suffer my gaze.

我呢一個觀者，手指輕易翻過另一頁畫冊

Easy for me to turn the page,

敲敲門又離開。不必交融的，我也有自己的鋤

answer the doorbell,

俯身向一塊文字的荒田，挖掘，更深地挖掘

leave. My own hoe delves

生命在勞動，望著泥屋中一隻隻閃光的手

a weedy field of words,

有期待的喜悅也有苦澀

digging deep, hands shining

in this earthen house,

its joy, its hope, its bitterness.