比利·科林斯(Billy Collins),纽约城市大学莱曼学院英语教授,2001美国桂冠诗人。在《纽约客》《巴黎评论》《美国诗歌评论》《美国学者》等杂志发表过诗作。主要诗集有《有关天使的问题》《溺水的艺术》等15本。现居纽约萨默斯。约翰·厄普代克称他的诗“可爱、清澈、柔和,一贯令人吃惊,比表面上更为严肃。”
Invention — Billy Collins
创作——比利·科林斯
Tonight the moon is a cracker,
今晚的月亮是块
with a bite out of it
被咬掉一口的薄脆饼干
floating in the night,
飘飘荡荡浮在夜天,
and in a week or so
按照日历
according to the calendar
约莫一周时间
it will probably look
它看似大概会
like a silver football,
象个银色的橄榄球,
and nine, maybe ten days ago
而九天, 或许十天之前
it reminded me of a thin bright claw.
它使我想起一个薄明的蟹钳
But eventually —
可渐渐地——
by the end of the month,
到这个月底
I reckon —
我推断——
it will waste away
它将消瘦至
to nothing,
身影全无
nothing but stars in the sky,
天上只留繁星点点,
and I will have a few nights
而对我自己来说
to myself,
会有几个夜晚
a little time to rest my jittery pen.
让我极度紧张的笔得以休闲