牠蹲伏在院內的圍籬邊

Crouched by the yard fence,

守著午後的冬日

he guards winter’s afternoon,

陽光，果樹，和落葉

sunlight on these fruit trees, fallen leaves.

日影在地上寸寸移動

Those shadows inching earth,

無聲的步伐越過簷頂

the soundless footfalls mounting eaves,

只驚動牠敏感的耳朵

alert his sharpened ears,

微微豎起復又

erect, then drooping back to drowse.

慵懶地垂下

From a distant sky, sparrows come,

麻雀從天邊悄悄飛來

crossing the fence for his rusty food bowl,

越過低低的圍籬降落

its cold, hard rice.

跳進牠銹蝕的飯窩裏

Still as wood, he lets the breeze

啄著冷硬的飯粒

arrange his soft new coat.

兩碼的距離

牠依舊木然蟄伏

The sparrows, stuffed,

任微風翻弄新換的柔毛

shake their wings and fly,

their shadows on his nose

吃飽的麻雀抖翼飛起

like a fleeting patch of cloud.

翼影在牠的面前掠過

His eyes look up, his gaze

像一片小小的烏雲擾過頭頂

tethered by his neckchain.

只引得牠眼珠轉動

無法遠縱的目光瞬息拉回，落在

頸上的一條鐵鍊的陰影裏