辛波絲卡 〈不在預期之內的相遇〉 / 阿健 譯

〈An Unexpected Meeting〉

We treat each other with exceeding courtesy;
we say,it's great to see you after all these years.

Our tigers drink milk.
Our hawks tread the ground.
Our sharks have all drowned.
Our wolves yawn beyond the open cage.

Our snakes have shed their lightning,
our apes their flights of fancy,
our peacocks have renounced their plumes.
The bats flew out of our hair long ago.

We fall silent in midsentence,
all smiles, past help.
Our humans
don't know how to talk to one another.


我們超出一般禮節的應對
我們都說經過這些年能再遇到真是太好了

我們的老虎喝著乳水
我們的鷹隼在地上行走
我們的鯊全部溺死
我們的狼在打開的籠子前伸展爪牙

我們的蛇褪去那層閃電
我們的猴仔飛脫了幻想
我們的孔雀丟棄掉羽飾
蝙蝠呢老早飛離我們的頭髮

我們在句子的中間靜默下來
堆上更多的微笑 都不大有用
我們的人類
不知該如何與彼此的人類交談


*東華大學讀詩會「運詩人」唸誦、討論詩稿
原文選自《Poems new and collected 》
翻譯感謝阿健提供