In the ebbing sun of afternoon

我垂首獨坐午后漸稀的日影

I sit head down, too aware

深知文本雜沓穿心未必構成意念：

loose thoughts won’t always build ideas.

懊悔，似乎看得見秧苗在春風裏

Regrettable, as if recalling green shoots

同時抖動系列的羽翼，聽到魚鱗

in April wind, their shivery wings.

跳躍於清溪，秋光逡巡門外選擇方向

Or the soft plash of fish in the river.

惟獨我垂首坐對薄薄的暮寒

Outside, autumn light’s uncertain where to go.

認真尋覓，卻找不到

I sit alone in dusk’s faint chill,

如何回應宇宙賦我以浩蕩的主題

waiting to answer the vast universe.

但我何嘗不覺悟，有時恢弘的

Why can’t I grasp that knowledge and judgement

知識判斷縱使可讓文字舛錯減少至最低

should lessen the errors of my words?

假如另外一種風不以時而起，白雪不

If time brings neither wind nor snow,

以時而降，籬前的竹如何顯示節操

how can upright bamboo

猗猗為你簷下閉門讀書的典型

sketch the image of one’s study

作完整的畫像使有別於人間的乖戾

closed off from a distasteful world.

執拗？大智慧不必一定就是古來

Why hold with old wisdom?

金針只為你專屬之度與

Art’s golden needle is its gift.