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