HOW 夜读 | Vol.10：德里克·沃尔科特诗选

#2

Dark August 

黑八月

So much rain, so much life like the swollen sky 

这么多雨水，这么多生活，

of this black August. My sister, the sun,

正如这黑八月 肿胀的天。我的姐妹——太阳

broods in her yellow room and won't come out. 

在她的黄房间里抱窝不出。

Everything goes to hell; the mountains fume

一切都仿若地狱；山岭冒烟

like a kettle, rivers overrun; still, 

像口大锅，河流泛滥；可是

she will not rise and turn off the rain. 

她仍然不肯起来止雨。 

She is in her room, fondling old things, 

她躲在房里赏玩着老物件，

my poems, turning her album. Even if thunder falls 

我的诗，翻着她的相簿。即使雷

like a crash of plates from the sky, 

像砸碎的盘子从天而降

she does not come out. 

她也不露面。

Don't you know I love you but am hopeless

你不知道吗， 我爱你 

at fixing the rain ? But I am learning slowly

却对止雨束手无策？但我正在慢慢学会

to love the dark days, the steaming hills, 

爱这阴暗的日子，这冒汽的山， 　

the air with gossiping mosquitoes, 

充满嗡嗡闲话的蚊子的空气，

and to sip the medicine of bitterness, 

和啜饮苦药，

so that when you emerge, my sister, 

所以当你——我的姐妹，重新出现，

parting the beads of the rain, 

分开雨的珠帘，

with your forehead of flowers and eyes of forgiveness, 

用你繁花的额和体谅的眼

all with not be as it was, but it will be true 

一切都会同往常不一样了，真的

(you see they will not let me love 

（你看，他们不让我随心

as I want), because, my sister, then 

所愿），因为，我的姐妹，那时

I would have learnt to love black days like bright ones, 

我将已学会像爱光明的日子一样爱黑暗的日子，

The black rain, the white hills, when once 

爱黑的雨，白的山， 而从前

I loved only my happiness and you.

我只爱我的幸福和你。

Summer for prose and lemons, for nakedness and languor,

夏日，之所谓散文和柠檬，之所谓裸露和慵懒，

for the eternal idleness of the imagined return,

之所谓意想的归来中永恒的闲散，

for rare flutes and bare feet, and the August bedroom

之所谓珍稀的长笛和赤裸的双足，以及八月的卧房中

of tangled sheets and the Sunday salt, ah violin!

纠缠的床单和周日的盐，噢，小提琴！

When I press summer dusks together, it is

当我将夏日的黄昏揉在一起，它是

a month of street accordions and sprinklers

一个月的街头手风琴和喷水头

laying the dust, small shadows running from me.

躺在黄昏里，小小的影子逃离我身边。

It is music opening and closing, Italia mia, on Bleecker,

它是音乐的开始和结束，布里克街上的意大利餐厅

ciao, Antonio, and the water-cries of children

再见，安东尼奥，以及孩童们的啕哭

tearing the rose-coloured sky in streams of paper;

将玫瑰色的天空撕落进纸的川流里；

it is dusk in the nostrils and the smell of water

它是鼻子里的黄昏和水的气味

down littered streets that lead you to no water,

落在垃圾成堆的街头，领你去无水之境，

and gathering islands and lemons in the mind.

然后聚集起岛屿和柠檬在心头之上。

There is the Hudson, like the sea aflame.

那就是哈得孙河，像海在燃烧。

I would undress you in the summer heat,

我要在夏日热浪中将你衣衫褪去，

and laugh and dry your damp flesh if you came.

然后大笑着擦干你潮湿的肉体，如果你能到来。

德里克·沃尔科特，《游泳者》，1993

水彩，14 x 18¾ 英寸

Derek Walcott, The Swimmer, 1993

Watercolor, 14 x 18¾ inches