九月的雨落在屋子上。
September rain falls on the house.
在渐暗的光线下，老祖母
In the failing light, the old grandmother
和孩子一起坐在厨房里
sits in the kitchen with the child
小小的大理石壁炉边，
beside the Little Marvel Stove,
读着黄历上的笑话，
reading the jokes from the almanac,
用谈笑掩饰自己的眼泪。
laughing and talking to hide her tears.
她想着自己秋分时的眼泪
She thinks that her equinoctial tears
还有敲打着屋顶的雨
and the rain that beats on the roof of the house
全都写在黄历上，
were both foretold by the almanac,
但只有祖母才能知晓。
but only known to a grandmother.
铁壶在炉台上唱歌。
The iron kettle sings on the stove.
她一边切面包一边和孩子说话。
She cuts some bread and says to the child,
喝茶的时间到了；但是孩子
It's time for tea now; but the child
正看着茶壶小小的坚硬的眼泪
is watching the teakettle's small hard tears
发疯般在滚烫的黑色炉台上跳舞，
dance like mad on the hot black stove,
应当和雨水在屋顶上的舞姿相同。
the way the rain must dance on the house.
收拾利落，老祖母
Tidying up, the old grandmother
挂起了聪明的黄历。
hangs up the clever almanac
挂在它的系带上，黄历就像一只鸟
on its string. Birdlike, the almanac
半张着翅膀盘旋在孩子和
hovers half open above the child,
老祖母的头顶
hovers above the old grandmother
她的茶杯里装满了黑褐色的眼泪。
and her teacup full of dark brown tears.
她颤抖着说她觉得这屋子
She shivers and says she thinks the house
很冷，往炉子里填进更多的木柴。
feels chilly, and puts more wood in the stove.
它理应如此，大理石壁炉说。
It was to be, says the Marvel Stove.
我知道我所知道的，黄历说。
I know what I know, says the almanac.
孩子用蜡笔画出一座僵直的屋子
With crayons the child draws a rigid house
一条蜿蜒的小路。然后孩子
and a winding pathway. Then the child
把一个纽扣就像眼泪一样的男人放进屋子
puts in a man with buttons like tears
骄傲地把它拿给祖母看。
and shows it proudly to the grandmother.
但是在暗中，当祖母
But secretly, while the grandmother
在壁炉边忙活的时候，
busies herself about the stove,
小小的月亮就像眼泪一样坠落
the little moons fall down like tears
从黄历书页的间隙中
from between the pages of the almanac
落在孩子
into the flower bed the child
小心布置在房间前面的花床上。
has carefully placed in the front of the house.
是时候栽种眼泪了，黄历说。
Time to plant tears, says the almanac.
祖母对着神奇的壁炉唱歌
The grandmother sings to the marvelous stove
而孩子开始画另一座难以言说的屋子。
and the child draws another inscrutable house.