In the early morning an old woman

大清早，一位老妇人

is picking blackberries in the shade.

It will be too hot later

正在树荫里摘黑莓。

but right now there’s dew.

再过会就太热了，

而现在还有露水。

Some berries fall: those are for squirrels.

Some are unripe, reserved for bears.

一些莓果坠地了：那些留给松鼠。

Some go into the metal bowl.

一些还没成熟，留给熊。

Those are for you, so you may taste them

一些进了金属碗。

just for a moment.

那些是给你的，够你品尝

That’s good times: one little sweetness

一会儿。

after another, then quickly gone.

那是开心的事：一小口甜，

接着一小口，随后迅速消散。

Once, this old woman

I’m conjuring up for you

我让你脑海中浮现的

would have been my grandmother.

这位老妇人，曾经

Today it’s me.

会是我的祖母。

Years from now it might be you,

今天是我。

if you’re quite lucky.

多年以后可能是你，

如果你非常幸运。

The hands reaching in

among the leaves and spines

伸进叶子与刺

were once my mother’s.

之间的那双手

I’ve passed them on.

曾是我母亲的手。

Decades ahead, you’ll study your own

我已传递下去。

temporary hands, and you’ll remember.

未来数十年，你将端详自己的

Don’t cry, this is what happens.

临时的手，你将铭记。

不用哭，事情就这样发生。

Look! The steel bowl

is almost full. Enough for all of us.

瞧！钢碗

The blackberries gleam like glass,

几乎满了。够我们所有人的。

like the glass ornaments

黑莓闪烁如玻璃，

we hang on trees in December

如十二月我们挂在

to remind ourselves to be grateful for snow.

树上的玻璃饰品，

提醒我们对雪感恩。

Some berries occur in sun,

but they are smaller.

一些莓果长在太阳下，

It’s as I always told you:

但它们更小。

the best ones grow in shadow.

就像我一直告诉你的：

最好的生长在阴影里。