Spring too soon, the cotton tree flowering

過暖的天氣催木棉早開

scarlet before its dry leaves fall,

而枯葉還沒有褪盡

their palmlike clumps

那掌的複叠

bunched dead yellow,

靠攏成一團團枯黃

still bound to oozing branches

仍然纏繞著瘡刺的枝椏

pumping sap and sunlight.

抽取素養：陽光、水分……

I’ve put my winter clothes away

但你已把禦寒的衣服收妥

as if outside of time.

彷彿對時令失去敏覺

A sudden, chilling gust

它忽而又刮來一陣寒風

shakes the cotton’s pistils,

叫試探的棉蕊抖擻

saying wait, winter yet will end.

說：冬日終會過去，且再守待

How strange a single tree

奇怪這會是花和葉的吵嘴

where flowers and leaves contend.

在同一株樹上，你仰起頭迎接

I raise my head, the vaulted sky

三兩燦爛的紅綻落自穹蒼

spilling bright red flames.