Don’t ask me;
别问我；
I have no recipe
我没有写诗
for a poem. You
的秘诀。语言
know the language,
你知道的，
know where prose ends
散文结束处
and poetry begins.
便是诗的开始。
There should be no
餐前圣歌不应被
introit into a poem.
算作一首诗。
The listener should come
听者应有知觉
to and realise
并意识到
verse has been going on
诗已经发生了
for some time. Let
一段时间。
there be no coughing,
我们别咳嗽，
no sighing. Poetry
也别叹气。诗
is a spell woven
是一种符咒，
by consonants and vowels
用辅音和元音
in the absence of logic,
以非逻辑方式织成。
Ask no rhyme
别去管一首诗的
of a poem, only
韵脚，仅
that it keep faith
让它忠于
with life’s rhythm.
生命的韵律。
Language will trick
语言会捉弄你
you if it can.
如果可能。
Syntax is words’
文法，是
way of shackling
词语桎梏灵魂
the spirit. Poetry is that
的途径。诗是
which arrrives at the intellect
经由心灵
by way of the heart.
抵达智慧之物。