下行

让我却步的并不是痛苦，而是时间

以它悲哀的前兆和气味，

它的鲜花和回响，它的河流和罪错。

即使是现在，虽然没有未来，

我都要用未来时态向自己说谎。当我的头发

逐渐稀疏，我开始收集梳子。当闹钟鸣响，我悲叹。

沉落的世界从绝望中寻找乐趣

因为痛苦意味着独处，

而我的痛苦来源于变化带来的

种种事端就像我无法搞定的乐谱，

就像我在拆除死亡的种种发明。

我曾经建造城堡，现在我做家庭杂务。

为了消磨时间我整理我的东西。

为了能够入睡我背诵国王的名字。

作者 / [美国] 乔书亚·爱德华斯

翻译 / 光诸

Decline

It is not pain that holds me back, but time

With its sad prefigurations and smell,

Its flowers and echoes, rivers and crime.

Even now, without a future, I tell

Myself lies in future tense. As my hair

Thins, I collect combs. When clocks chime, I groan.

The falling world finds pleasure in despair

Because to suffer means to be alone,

And I suffer through all the accidents

Of change as though I were settling a score,

As if to disinvent what death invents.

I once built a castle, now I do chores.

To pass the time I rearrange my things.

To fall asleep I recite names of kings.

JOSHUA EDWARDS