I praise you because

我赞美你因为

you are artist and scientist

你集艺术家和科学家

in one. When I am somewhat

于一身。当我有点

fearful of your power,

惧怕你的力量时，

your ability to work miracles

你的能力创造奇迹

with a set-square, I hear

用一个三角尺，我听到

you murmuring to yourself

你对自己淙淙低语，

in a notation Beethoven

一种符号系统贝多芬

dreamed of but never achieved.

梦见过却从未获得的。

You run off your scales of

你逸出你的雨水和海水的

rain water and sea water, play

刻度，奏响

the chords of the morning

晨光与黄昏的

and evening light, sculpture

和弦，你用阴影

with shadow, join together leaf

雕刻，连接一叶

by leaf, when spring

一叶，当春天

comes, the stanzas of

来临时，连缀诗节

an immense poem. You speak

构筑宏大的诗篇。你讲

all languages and none,

所有的语言却一言不发

answering our most complex

回应我们最复杂的

prayers with the simplicity

祈祷，用一朵花的简明，

of a flower, confronting

当我们要驯服你

us, when we would domesticate you

为我们所用时，你以我们眼底

to our uses, with the rioting

暴动的病毒

viruses under our lens.

对付我们。