在我伸出流动的手指，
Before I knocked and flesh let enter,
轻叩子宫，敲开肉体大门之前，
With liquid hands tapped on the womb,
我像水一样飘忽无形，
I who was shapeless as the water
那水汇成了家乡附近的约旦河 ，
That shaped the Jordan near my home
我是摩尼莎 女儿的兄弟，
Was brother to Mnetha's daughter
我也是繁衍蠕虫的姐妹。
And sister to the fathering worm.
我充耳不闻春天和夏天，
I who was deaf to spring and summer,
叫不出太阳和月亮的名字，
Who knew not sun nor moon by name,
我感到血肉盔甲之下，
Felt thud beneath my flesh's armour,
砰然作响，迄今还在熔合，
As yet was in a molten form,
父亲在穹顶下挥舞
The leaden stars, the rainy hammer
雨点般的铁锤，铅星飞溅。
Swung by my father from his dome.
我知晓冬天的讯息，
I knew the message of the winter,
冰雹纷飞，雪花如嬉，
The darted hail, the childish snow,
而寒风追逐我的姐妹；
And the wind was my sister suitor;
风在我体内跳动，恶露降临；
Wind in me leaped, the hellborn dew;
我的血管随东方的天气流动；
My veins flowed with the Eastern weather;
未出生我就知晓黑夜与白昼。
Ungotten I knew night and day.
还未出生，我就饱经风霜；
As yet ungotten, I did suffer;
噩梦折磨着我，百合般的骨头
The rack of dreams my lily bones
绞成一组活生生的密码。
Did twist into a living cipher,
而被肢解的血肉穿越一排排
And flesh was snipped to cross the lines
耸立在肝区的十字架，
Of gallow crosses on the liver
穿越脑海里缠结的荆棘丛。
And brambles in the wringing brains.
在肌肤和血管围拢井口之前，
My throat knew thirst before the structure
我的喉咙早已知道干渴，
Of skin and vein around the well
言词和水在那儿融为一体，
Where words and water make a mixture
无穷无尽，直到血发臭；
Unfailing till the blood runs foul;
我的心感受到爱，胃饱尝饥饿；
My heart knew love, my belly hunger;
我在自己的粪便嗅到蛆虫。
I smelt the maggot in my stool.
时光抛出我凡夫俗子的躯体
And time cast forth my mortal creature
追随咸潮奔涌的冒险
To drift or drown upon the seas
在海上漂泊沉浮
Acquainted with the salt adventure
却未曾触及到岸。
Of tides that never touch the shores.
我啜饮时光的葡萄汁
I who was rich was made the richer
愈加变得奢华富有。
By sipping at the vine of days.
我的灵与肉天生一体，非人
I, born of flesh and ghost, was neither
亦非魔，却是凡间的幽灵。
A ghost nor man, but mortal ghost.
我被死亡的羽毛击倒在地。
And I was struck down by death's feather.
终有一死，我最后
I was a mortal to the last
一口长长的呼吸捎给父亲
Long breath that carried to my father
那基督临终的口信。
The message of his dying christ.
你俯首眼前的十字架和祭坛，
You who bow down at cross and altar,
记着我，并怜悯基督，
Remember me and pity Him
是他误将我的骨肉当成盔甲，
Who took my flesh and bone for armour
欺骗了我母亲的子宫。
And doublecrossed my mother's womb.