Greeting to Spring (Not Without Trepidation) by Robert Lax

越过弗罗里达巴斯克后面，
越过福斯湾的泡沫，
从塔西提岛和马达加斯加岛向上，
瞧，太阳向北走去。
第一个明媚的日子让懒鬼歌唱
而叶子像爆竹一样爆发，
鸭子前飞去迎接春天
都市鸽子甜美的啼啭，
鸭子在此嘎嘎叫，鸟儿在啾啾闹，
我们总是会谈及许多往事。
拿着你的弹珠出来吧，哮吼着出来吧，
草绿得犹如女童子军的制服；
会唱歌的石头立在商场之中
像一只倾听古德曼管弦乐队的耳朵。
太阳刺眼的光，明晃晃地照在桌面上，
我们会谈及变暗的巴黎。
与此同时，像催促小马赶路的随从
它在屋顶的阴影里疾走，
太阳，运行着，将加速
植物和鱼群，野兽和人的计划。
我们会把眼光转向潮湿柔软的大地
估计着土地是裂开还是丰满。
结束两党对峙的打算，
落到等着北上的飞机上，
达及这位普通人和他的妻子，
瞧，太阳向前走着！
Over the back of the Florida basker,
over the froth of the Firth of Forth,
Up from Tahiti and Madagascar,
Lo, the sun walks north.
The first bright day makes sing the slackers
While leaves explode like firecrackers,
The duck flies forth to greet the spring
And sweetly municipal pigeons sing.
Where the duck quacks, where the bird sings,
We will speak of past things.
Come out with your marbles, come out with your Croup,
The grass is as green as a Girl Scout troop;
In the Mall the stone acoustics stand
Like a listening ear for the Goldman band.
At an outside table, where the sun’s bright glare is,
We will speak of darkened Paris.
Meanwhile, like attendants who hasten the hoofs
Of the ponies who trot in the shadow of roofs,
The sun, in his running, will hasten the plan
Of plants and fishes, beast and man.
We’ll turn our eyes to the sogging ground
And guess if the earth is cracked or round.
Over the plans of the parties at strife,
Over the planes in the waiting north,
Over the average man and his wife,
Lo, the sun walks forth!
“Greeting to Spring (Not Without Trepidation)” by Robert Lax, from Tertium Quid. © Stride Publications, 2005. Reprinted with permission