Opening Ruskin’s

翻開羅斯金的威尼斯石頭

The Stones of Venice

就想起我的心裏

calls up that palatial city

那巍峨的一座殿堂

still in my heart.

撐了六百年

The weight of six hundred years

是否再經不起負荷

sinks it deeper by the day,

日漸沒入水裏呢？

as the sea invades each alley

海水參觀了所有的窄胡同

with the songs of gondoliers,

帶來擅唱的貢多拉

laps the palace steps,

然後匯集在殿堂外

strokes the worn foundations,

天長地久

breaks the will of stones.

撫摸堂下累了的腿

It rots marble pavement,

叫石頭也動搖意志

bends Giotto’s perfect halos.

先溶解地面的雲石

Gold leaf peels

拉歪了喬托當年

too late to save.

畫得好圓的光環

Venetians latch their rusting windows,

金漆紛紛

move to upper floors.

落下，來不及承接

On church domes, gray pigeons

來不及，就來不及了

tuck their heads beneath their wings.

威尼斯人關上銹蝕的窗子

向更高的三、四樓發展

In the Piazza San Marco

灰鴿站在教堂的頂尖

the band retires at midnight—

把頭收入羽毛裏

rows of empty chairs,

the faintest echoing of strings.

我們坐在聖馬可廣場

Ripple by ripple,

十二時過後，樂隊離去了

scaling waves

留下一排排的空座椅

edge close.

仍然聽到隱隱約約

Pale yellow moonlight

的琴弦，難道

clings to the basilica.

是日漸漂近

層層的鱗浪麼？

On the square, one homeless man plays flute

教堂上浮貼

as more arrive, their sleeping bags

斗大昏黃

simply unrolled by the water.

的月光

They sit crosslegged in a ring,

not applauding after the music,

廣場裏，一個流浪漢吹奏長笛

as if some shy notes were yet to come,

另外幾個走來，放下睡袋

hidden among columns of stone.

他們跟水的關係

正常化了

My heart retains this great palace,

大家盤腿圍坐；吹完

but when I open

許久許久還不敢鼓掌

The Stones of Venice

是怕還有些遲到的音符

a far off sea creeps near.

猶疑，害羞

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