Monday, July 14, 2008

Franz Wright: Octaves, June Storm, The Word

Three Poems by Franz Wright
from Walking to Martha's Vineyard 《走向玛莎的葡萄园》

   Octaves
            Franz Wright
We were, about as useful as a hammer and nail made of gold

Some woman crying the first thing we heard before our
    birth

No people anymore

Oh prayer of night

Who’s going to miss you

   八度音程
         弗朗兹·赖特 tr. Fan Jinghua
我们曾,有用,差不多像金子制成的锤子与钉子

某个女人哭着,那是我们听到的第一件事情
   在出生前

不再有任何人

啊,夜晚的祈祷者

谁会想念你

   June Storm
             Franz Wright
Voices from the first dark heartshaped green of summer
leaves, rain:
birds’.

What are they called.

I’m leaving here, and still don’t know.

I’m going there, though,
where they are—
I feel this.

Feel that I was there
before.

I felt this
as a child, and now
I know it.

   六月风暴
         弗朗兹·赖特 tr. Fan Jinghua

声音传自第一波黑色的心型的绿色夏日的
叶子,雨:
鸟的。

它们叫做什么。

我将离开这儿,仍然不知道。

我将去那儿,不过,
它们就在那——
我感觉到了。

感觉我到过那儿
以前。

我有过这感觉
在童年时,至如今
我才知道。

   The Word
         Franz Wright
Like a third set of teeth
or side in a chess match



Thought

and most mysterious
of all, the
matter of thought

The mortal mind thinking
deathless things,
singing



See it examining
black grains of death
and life—they are the same
thing—
in its open hand



Sweet black green-shadowed grains of soil:
When no one is looking

see it secretly

taste one.

   
         弗朗兹·赖特 tr. Fan Jinghua
犹如第三口牙齿
或者象棋比赛的一边




以及一切之中尤为
神秘的,思
的实质

必死之人的头脑思考着
不死的物事,
歌唱着


看它仔细检查
死与生的黑色
颗粒——它们都是同样的
物质——
在其敞开的手中


泥土甜蜜的黑色颗粒有绿色阴影:
没有他人看到的时候

秘密地看

品尝一颗

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