The creek’s silver in the sun of almost August,

在近八月的太陽裏，小溪泛著銀色，

And bright dry air, and last runnels of snowmelt,

明亮而乾燥的空氣，融雪的最後的溝渠，

Percolating through the roots of mountain grasses

滲入山草的根

Vinegar weed, golden smoke, or meadow rust,

醋雜草，金色的煙霧，或鏽病的草地，

Do they confer, do the lovers’ bodies

它們交談嗎，在那夏日的薄暮中

In the summer dusk, his breath, her sleeping face,

情人的身體，他的氣息，她睡熟的臉，

Confer—, does the slow breeze in the pines?

交談嗎——松林裏緩慢的微風呢？

If you were the interpreter, if that were your task.

倘若你是解釋者。倘若那是你的職責。