I want to write different words for you

我想为你写下特别的文字

To invent a language for you alone

单独为你发明一种语言

To fit the size of your body

以适合你身体的尺寸

And the size of my love.

和我爱情的容量。

…

...

I want to travel away from the dictionary

我想走出词典去漫游

And to leave my lips.

离开我的口。

I am tired of my mouth

我厌倦了我的嘴，

I want a different one

我想要一个不一样的嘴，

That can change

它可以变成

Into a cherry tree or a matchbox,

樱桃树或火柴盒，

A mouth from which words can emerge

文字可以从中涌现

Like nymphs from the sea,

像来自大海的仙女，

Like white chicks jumping from the magician’s hat.

像魔术师帽里跳出的小白鸽。

…

...

Take all the books

拿走所有

That I read in my childhood,

我儿时读过的书，

Take all my school notebooks,

拿走所有我的笔记本，

Take the chalk,

拿走粉笔，

The pens,

钢笔，

And the blackboards,

还有黑板，

But teach me a new word

但要教给我一个新词

To hang like an earring

将它像个耳环一样

On my lover’s ear.

挂在我爱人的耳朵上。

...

...

I want other fingers

我想拥有别样的手指

To write another way.

用另一种方式书写。

For I hate fingers that are not too long or too short

因为我厌恶不长不短的手指

As I hate trees that neither die nor grow.

一如我厌恶不死不活的树。

I want new fingers

我想拥有新的手指

Raised high as ship-masts

高举如轮船的桅杆

Long as a giraffe's neck

颀长如长颈鹿的脖子

So I can tailor a poetry-garment for my love

这样我才能为爱人缝制一件诗歌之衣

That she never wore before me.

她从未在我面前穿过

...

...

I want to fashion you an alphabet

我想要为你发明一种字母表

Different from all the alphabets,

与所有字母表都不同，

Comprising rhythms of the rain,

其中蕴含雨的旋律

The dust of the moon

月的灰尘

The sadness of grey clouds

乌云的忧愁

And the aching of the willow-leaves

和九月的车碾下

Breaking beneath September's carriage wheels.

柳叶的突然阵痛