是这年年初最柔媚的一天，

Was the silkiest day of the young year,

真正的春天第一次的探视，

The first reconnaissance of the real spring,

太阳第一次有了自信。

The first confidence of the sun.

就在昨天。昨夜，霜冻。

That was yesterday. Last night, frost.

像每个冬夜同样坚硬。

And as hard as any of all winter.

火星和土星和月亮聚成一团

Mars and Saturn and the Moon dangling in a bunch

悬挂在坚硬、凌乱的天空中。

On the hard, littered sky.

今天是情人节。

Today is Valentine’s day.

大地脆如吐司。雪花莲走了样。

Earth toast-crisp. The snowdrops battered.

鸫鸟扑腾着。鸽子小心翼翼地

Thrushes spluttering. Pigeons gingerly

把它们的声音搓合在一起，在刺骨的寒冷中。

Rubbing their voices together, in stinging cold.

乌鸦嘎嘎叫着，同时笨拙地

Crows creaking, and clumsily

撕裂脱身。

Cracking loose.

明亮的田野看似迷惑不解。

The bright fields look dazed.

它们的神情变了。

Their expression is changed.

它们曾到过某个可怕的地方

They have been somewhere awful

然后又回来，没有他。

And come back without him.

那群可靠的牛，背上带着霜，

The trustful cattle, with frost on their backs,

等着干草，等着温暖，

Waiting for hay, waiting for warmth,

站在新的虚空中。

Stand in a new emptiness.

从现在起，这大地

From now on the land

将要独立行事，不再有他。

Will have to manage without him.

但它还在犹疑，在这缓缓出现的光中，

But it hesitates, in this slow realization of light,

像孩子般，一丝不挂，在微弱的太阳下，

Childlike, too naked, in a frail sun,

它的根被切去

With roots cut

它的记忆留下大片空白。

And a great blank in its memory.