The Swan

天鹅

by Mary Oliver

玛丽·奥利弗

Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river?

Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air -

An armful of white blossoms,

A perfect commotion¹ of silk and linen² as it leaned

into the bondage³ of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies,

Biting the air with its black beak⁴?

Did you hear it, fluting⁵ and whistling

A shrill⁶ dark music - like the rain pelting⁷ the trees - like a waterfall

Knifing down the black ledges⁸?

And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds -

A white cross Streaming across the sky, its feet

Like black leaves, its wings Like the stretching light of the river?

And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained⁹ to everything?

And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?

And have you changed your life?

你是否也看见它，整夜，漂浮在黑暗的河上?

你是否看见它在早晨，飞入银亮的空气——

一束白色的花，

丝绸与亚麻的一阵完美抖动，当它

将头藏进翅膀中;一道雪堤，一片开满百合的坡岸，

它黑色的喙咬紧了空气?

你是否听见它，笛声和哨音

一种尖锐而深沉的音乐——像雨拍打着树——像一片瀑布

冲下黑色的岩石?

你是否看见它，最后，就在云层下——

滑过天空的一个白十字架，它的脚

像黑色的叶子，它的翅膀像河面上伸展的光?

在你心里，是否感受到它如何化归万物?

而你最终领会了，美是为了什么?

并改变了你的生活?