Though neither you nor I saw flowering pistachio trees

儘管你我從未見過阿月渾子樹

in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, though neither

在巴比倫的空中花園開花，從未見過

you nor I saw the Tigris River stained with ink,

底格里斯河流出墨水，

though we never heard a pistachio shell dehisce,

儘管我們從未聽到阿月渾子輕輕裂開，

we have taken turns holding a panda as it munched

但我們輪流抱過一隻大聲咀嚼竹葉的

on bamboo leaves, and I know that rustle now.

貓熊，那沙沙聲依稀分明。

I have awakened beside you and inhaled August

在你身邊醒來，我從你的髮絲中

sunlight in your hair. I’ve listened to the scroll

嗅聞八月。我曾認真傾聽

and unscroll of your breath—dolphins arc along

你呼吸的畫卷開闔——海豚躍出水面

the surface between white-capped waves; here,

消失於弧線盡頭的白色浪花；多年前

years after we sifted yarrow and read from the Book

我們在這裏研讀易經推演蓍草，此時

of Changes, I mark the dissolving hues in the west

我注意到西天的色彩正在消散，

as the sky brightens above overhanging willows.

垂柳上空忽然明朗。

The panda fidgets as it pushes a stalk farther

貓熊扭動了起來，把一根竹莖

into its mouth. We step into a clearing with budding

塞進嘴裏。我們走入一塊空地，鷄油菌的菇蕾

chanterelles; and, though this space shrinks and

正從土地冒出；那麽，即便這壓縮的時空

is obscured in the traffic of a day, here is the anchor

被一整天的奔忙遮蔽，此刻依然是

I drop into the depths of teal water. I gaze deeply

鳬綠的深水處我的落錨點。我癡癡凝望

at the panda’s black patches around its eyes;

貓熊眼睛周圍的黑色圓圈；

how did it evolve from carnivore to eater of bamboo?

牠是怎樣從肉食動物進化到以竹為食？

So many transfigurations I will never fathom.

這麽多我無法測量的轉化。

The arc of our lives is a brightening then dimming,

我們生命的弧線不停明滅，

brightening then dimming—a woman catches

時明時滅——嗖地

fireflies in an orchard with the swish of a net.

一個女孩用網子捕到果園裏的螢火蟲。

I pick an openmouthed pistachio from a bowl

我拿起碗中一顆開口的阿月渾子

and crack it apart: a hint of Assyria spills

掰開它：亞述國的影子

into the alluvial fan of sunlight. I read spring in

湧出這日光的沖積扇。我在你呼吸的

autumn in the scroll of your breath; though

秋日畫卷中閲讀春天；儘管你我

neither you nor I saw the completion of the Great Wall,

從未見證長城的完工，我醒來，

I wake to the unrepeatable contour of this breath.

眼前是這不可重複的呼吸的等高線。