好詩獻給你 第65期:I Started Early—Took My Dog

I Started Early—Took My Dog

我早早啟程，帶著我的狗——Emily Dickinson (1830-86)

I started early, took my dog,

我早早啟程，帶著我的狗，

And visited the sea;

去拜訪大海;

The mermaids in the basement

海底的美人魚

Came out to look at me,

出來看著我，

And frigates in the upper floor

上面一層的帆船

Extended hempen hands,

伸出大麻制的雙手，

Presuming me to be a mouse

想象我變成一只老鼠

Aground, upon the sands.

擱淺，在沙灘上。

But no man moved me till the tide

可是沒有人移動我直到潮水

Went past my simple shoe,

漫過我的一簡樸的鞋子，

And past my apron and my belt,

漫過我的圍裙，我的腰帶，

And past my bodice too,

也漫過我的胸衣，

And made as he would eat me up

假裝他要吃掉我

As wholly as a dew

真似一滴露珠

Upon a dandelion's sleeve—

在蒲公英的袖子上——

And then I started too.

然后我又動身

And he—he followed close behind;

而他——他緊緊地跟在后面;

I felt his silver heel

我感覺到了他銀色的腳踵

Upon my ankle,—then my shoes

漫過我的腳踝，--然后我的鞋子

Would overflow with pearl.

好似珍珠四溢。

Until we met the solid town,

直到我遇見堅固的小城，

No man he seemed to know;

他似乎不認識任何人;

And bowing with a mighty look

帶著剛毅的表情

At me, the sea withdrew

向我鞠躬，海退潮了