把耳朵這樣緊貼著圍墻

Put your ear against the wall.

難道就接通了

Can you catch

那些失去言辭的嘴巴？

the words of the muted?

重重的泥層把我們截斷

Bands of fired clay cut them off.

你聽到什麼呢？通話器的另一頭

What is there to hear? The other end

多麼巧合啊接駁了祈年殿上

extends by happenstance

黃燦燦的金光，一頂大傘覆蓋了

to the Temple of Good Harvest,

眩目深藍的琉璃瓦

filled with gold light, its great umbrella roofs mantling

所有的請願都收在傘下

a deep blue dazzle of tiles.

收進殿前山水屏風裏

In its shade, petitions are received

松和柏凝定，山川靜安

before the landscape screen,

輕柔的聲音貼附著圍墻

calm pine and cypress, still waters, mountains.

繞過北面的皇穹宇

向你的耳膜折射，聽到了

Soft voices hug the north wall

你聽到皇帝感謝五穀豐收

rounding the Imperial Vault of Heaven,

年年同樣的禱告，不斷傳來

curving toward your ear.

三音石上掌聲激盪

Year after year, the emperor

多麼整齊啊受圍墻反射又回集中央

gives thanks for the five crop harvest,

天圓地方，墻內從來是世界的核心

his palmclaps circling

這美麗的木房子，四周牢靠

above the Three Echo Stone.

只要圍墻再加高只要

How fine their sound runs along the wall,

把這裏那裏的墻洞修補

ringing, recentering.

那麼墻外，泥塊下塌的撼動

Round sky, square earth, within this wall its core.

塵沙翻滾由遠逼近，拉響

A grand wood mansion, stout sided,

地下的共鳴箱，我們所有的

but only if the wall grows higher,

申訴聚結成為風暴

the gaps stay patched.

誰知道呢？都收進傘下

Beyond, earth trembles, clay cracks,

層層覆叠的琉璃瓦

dust clouds roil from afar.

那一塊塊眩麗的隔聲板

Foundations shake, petitions

whirl in a storm, all of them

把耳朵緊貼這圍墻，緊貼些

received under the umbrella,

難道就接通了震源

its rows of blue glazed tiles,

原來來自你足下？

the rich hush of gilded panels.

Put your ear against the wall. Closer.

To that quivering epicenter

just beneath your feet.