我相信有一条河

I believe in a river

从大海流向高山

that flows from the sea to the mountains

我对诗歌的要求不外乎

I ask no more of poetry than

为这条河绘制地图

to make a map of this river

我不想在石头中打出水来

I don't want to strike water from stones

但我想把水运到石头上

but I want to carry water to them

焦干黝黑的石头

dry black rock

变成蓝色水润的石头

becomes blue water rock

但报纸却别有所愿

but the newspapers wish it otherwise

他们想要焦干黝黑的头条新闻

they want headlines of dry and black

并筑起堤坝，强行来

and throw up dams and force

一个关于什么的转折

an about turn