Even if it keeps you up all night,

即便这会让你熬上一个通宵

wash down the walls and scrub the floor

也要先把书房的墙壁和地板擦洗一新

of your study before composing a syllable.

再落笔写下第一个音节

Clean the place as if the Pope were on his way.

做好清洁仿佛迎接教皇的驾临。

Spotlessness is the niece of inspiration.

一尘不染，乃是灵感的外甥女。

The more you clean, the more brilliant

你打扫得越彻底，文字便越会

your writing will be, so do not hesitate to take

焕发光彩，所以不要犹豫，

to the open fields to scour the undersides

尽管跑到开阔的野地，去刷洗岩石

of rocks or swab in the dark forest

隐秘的底部，或在幽暗的森林里

upper branches, nests full of eggs.

擦拭高处的枝桠，和盛满鸟蛋的鸟巢。

When you find your way back home

当你踏上归途，回到家里，

and stow the sponges and brushes under the sink,

将海绵与刷子在水槽下放好，

you will behold in the light of dawn

便会在黎明的晨光里望见，

the immaculate altar of your desk,

你的书桌已经化作无尘的祭坛，

a clean surface in the middle of a clean world.

洁净的台面，居于洁净世界的中央。

From a small vase, sparkling blue, lift

从一只莹蓝透亮的小花瓶中，取出

a yellow pencil, the sharpest of the bouquet,

一支黄色铅笔，花束中最为锋利的一朵，

and cover pages with tiny sentences

然后在纸页上写满细密的字句，

like long rows of devoted ants

如同长长一列虔诚的蚂蚁，

that followed you in from the woods.

它们一路追随你，自林间归来。