翻開羅斯金的威尼斯石頭

Opening Ruskin’s

就想起我的心裏

The Stones of Venice

那巍峨的一座殿堂

calls up that palatial city

撐了六百年

still in my heart.

是否再經不起負荷

The weight of six hundred years

日漸沒入水裏呢？

sinks it deeper by the day,

海水參觀了所有的窄胡同

as the sea invades each alley

帶來擅唱的貢多拉

with the songs of gondoliers,

然後匯集在殿堂外

laps the palace steps,

天長地久

strokes the worn foundations,

撫摸堂下累了的腿

breaks the will of stones.

叫石頭也動搖意志

It rots marble pavement,

先溶解地面的雲石

bends Giotto’s perfect halos.

拉歪了喬托當年

Gold leaf peels

畫得好圓的光環

too late to save.

金漆紛紛

Venetians latch their rusting windows,

落下，來不及承接

move to upper floors.

來不及，就來不及了

On church domes, gray pigeons

威尼斯人關上銹蝕的窗子

tuck their heads beneath their wings.

向更高的三、四樓發展

灰鴿站在教堂的頂尖

In the Piazza San Marco

把頭收入羽毛裏

the band retires at midnight—

rows of empty chairs,

我們坐在聖馬可廣場

the faintest echoing of strings.

十二時過後，樂隊離去了

Ripple by ripple,

留下一排排的空座椅

scaling waves

仍然聽到隱隱約約

edge close.

的琴弦，難道

Pale yellow moonlight

是日漸漂近

clings to the basilica.

層層的鱗浪麼？

教堂上浮貼

On the square, one homeless man plays flute

斗大昏黃

as more arrive, their sleeping bags

的月光

simply unrolled by the water.

They sit crosslegged in a ring,

廣場裏，一個流浪漢吹奏長笛

not applauding after the music,

另外幾個走來，放下睡袋

as if some shy notes were yet to come,

他們跟水的關係

hidden among columns of stone.

正常化了

大家盤腿圍坐；吹完

My heart retains this great palace,

許久許久還不敢鼓掌

but when I open

是怕還有些遲到的音符

The Stones of Venice

猶疑，害羞

a far off sea creeps near.

躲藏在茫茫，不可知的

石柱後面？

但我心裏永遠屹立

那麼的一座殿堂，雖然

翻開羅斯金的威尼斯石頭

我就聽到由遠而近

的洶湧了