You have lived six decades     and you have lived none

你活了六十年　你从没有活过

You have loved many     and you have loved no one

你爱过不少人　你一个人也没有爱过

You wedded three wives       but you lie in your cold bed alone

你有过三任妻子　但你独自躺在冰冷的床

You sired four children     but they cannot forgive you

你播种了四个孩子　每一个都对你不能原谅

Knock at emptiness    a house without your love

敲敲虚空的门　房间中不曾有你的爱

Strike the pine box     no answer    all hollow

打打松木的盒子　没有回答　空空如也

You planted plums near the gate     but they bear no fruit

你在门边种了李子树　但没有一棵结了果实

You raised herbs in the veranda     fresh and savory

你在门廊上种了药草　它们翠绿辛香

I cry for you     but no sound wells up in my throat

我想为你痛哭　但没有声音涌上我的喉头

I sing for you     but my tears have dried in my gullet

我想为你歌唱　但泪水已经在食道里干涸

Walk the old dog     give the budgies a cool bath

遛遛那条老狗　给虎皮鹦鹉一次冷水浴

Cut a tender melon     let it bleed into memory

剪下一个嫩瓜　让它的血流入记忆

The robe you washed     hangs like a carcass flayed

你洗过的长袍　悬挂着就像剥了皮的尸体

The mug you loved       is stained with old coffee

你爱过的马克杯　沾满往年的咖啡

Your toothbrush is silent        grease mums your comb

你的牙刷一声不吭　油脂封住了你梳子的嘴

Something's lost        something's made strong

有的事物丧失　有的事物愈发坚强

Around the corner    a new prince yearns to be loved

在下一个转角　一个新的王子在渴求被爱

A fresh turn of phrase       a bad strophe erased

新的书页正在翻开　旧的章节被抹去

A random image       crafts itself into a poem

一个随机的图像　把自己改造成诗的一部分

A sleepless Taipei night       a mosquito's symphony

一个台北的无眠夜　一首蚊子的交响曲

Who will cry for you    me and your sister Colette

谁会为你哭泣　我和你的女儿柯丽特

Who will cry for you    me and your Algerian sister

谁会为你哭泣　我和你的阿尔吉利亚妹妹

You were a rich man    but you held on to your poverty

你是一个有钱人　但你从来没有摆脱过贫困

You were a poor man    who loved gold over dignity

你是一个穷人　你爱金子胜过尊严

I sit near your body bag       and sing you a last song

你坐在你的尸袋旁　为你唱最后一首歌

I sit near your body bag      and chant your final sutra

我坐在你的尸袋旁　吟诵出最后的经文

What's our place on earth?     nada       nada       nada

我们在地球上的住处在哪里　如此这般

What's our destiny?       war     grief     maggots     nada

我们的最终命运是什么　战争　悲惨　蛆虫　如此这般

Arms      cheeks    cock     femur    eyelids    nada

胳膊　面颊　阴茎　大腿骨　眼皮　如此这般

Cowl     ox      lamb     vellum    marrow    nada

母牛　公牛　羊羔　羊皮纸　骨髓　如此这般

Vulva      nada     semen    nada    ovum    nada

女阴　如此这般　精液　如此这般　卵子　如此这般

Eternity     nada       heaven    nada    void    nada

永恒　如此这般　天堂　如此这般　虚无　如此这般

Birth and death the same blackened womb

出生和死亡啊同样黑暗的子宫

Birth and death the same white body bag

出生和死亡啊同样白色的尸袋

Detach     detach we enter the world alone

脱体　我们脱体进入这孤独的世界

Detach     detach we leave the world bone lonely

脱体　我们脱体孤独地离开这个世界

If we can't believe in god       we must believe in love

如果我们不能相信上帝　我们一定要相信爱

We must believe in love       we must believe in love

我们一定要相信爱　我们一定要相信爱

And they zip you up        in your white body bag

此时他们拉好拉链　把你锁进白色尸袋

White body bag        white    white     body       bag

白色尸袋　白色的　白色的　尸体　袋