The man moves earth

男人挖开土壤，

to dispel grief.

聊以排遣忧伤。

He digs holes

挖开大洞，

the size of cars.

和汽车相仿。

何予何夺，何失何得，心中默想——

In proportion to what is taken

雨水灌满的大坑，

what is given multiplies—

和扎满根系的泥土，

rain-swollen ponds

上面花朵炽热绽放。

and dirt mounds

树木被他抱起，

rooted with flame-tipped flowers.

如孩童般想挣扎离开，

He carries trees like children

它们已度完生命之旅

struggling to be set down.

被他砍伐堆藏，

Trees that have lived

就像一片片面包，

out their lives,

投喂炉火，

he cuts and stacks

时时绿烟萦萦，

like loaves of bread

满屋甜香。

which he will feed the fire.

The green smoke sweetens

女人掸去浮尘

his house.

只为排忧解伤。

The woman sweeps air

她打扫地板，

to banish sadness.

擦拭家什，

She dusts floors,

木头和陶土因她发光。

polishes objects

何予何夺，何失何得，心中默想——

made of clay and wood.

仍然还有东西需要清洁，

In proportion to what is taken

闪亮的家什

what is given multiplies—

渴求重被弄脏——

the task of something

被幼童的呼吸

else to clean.

大牲畜的喘气；

Gleaming appliances

在她的转身中，

beg to be smudged,

瞬间无望。

breathed upon by small children

吃奶时翻动的舌头，

and large animals

蹄子划地的声迹，

flicking out hope

甜甜地时刻提醒：

as she whirls by,

掸去尘土，让家什发光。

flap of tongue,

scratch of paw,

女人掸去浮尘，

sweetly reminding her.

男人挖开土壤。

The man moves earth,

他们一起抽出水，

the woman sweeps air.

从各自身上，

Together they pull water

能量源于生命的痛苦，

out of the other,

身体之井深邃，

pull with the muscular

而痛苦体壮身强。

ache of the living,

雨水积存，

hauling from the deep

花开如火，

well of the body

小儿吸吮乳房，

the rain-swollen,

这一切在动动不息

the flame-tipped,

荡涤红尘的生命中

the milk-fed—

不断回转，

all that cycles

水，

through lives moving,

在它们之间环流，

lives sweeping, water

婉如呼吸，

circulating between them

如叶子将水排出，

like breath,

因为照耀的阳光。

drawn out of leaves by light.