Before Dark 天黑前

From the porch at dusk I watchcd

a king fisher wild in flight

he could only have made for joy

He came down the river，splashing

against the water's djmmjng face

like a skipped rock，passing

on down out of sight. And still

I could hear the splashes

farther and farther away

asit grew darker He came back

the same way，dusky as his shadow，

sudden beyond the willows.

The splashes went on out ofhearing.

It was dark then. Somewhere

the night had accommodated him

-at the place he was headed for

or where，led by his delight，

he came.

黃昏時，我在門廊上看著

翠鳥盡情飛翔

本來只為快樂。

他順流而下，

拍擊暗淡的水面

就像打水漂的石頭，掠過

飛出視線之外。而且我

仍然能聽到

越來越遠的飛濺聲

隨著天越來越黑。他原路回來了，

昏暗如他的影子，

突然越過柳樹。

水花繼續飛濺但卻聽不見。

那時天很黑。在某處

夜已經為他安排好了住宿

一一就在他去向的地方

或者在喜悅的引導下，

他到來之處。

Notes

1.porch 門廊

2.splash 拍打著水游

3.dim （使）變暗