Ox Cart Man

By Donald Hall

In October of the year,
he counts potatoes dug from the brown field,
counting the seed, counting
the cellar's portion out,
and bags the rest on the cart's floor.

He packs wool sheared in April, honey
in combs, linen, leather
tanned from deer hide,
and vinegar in a barrel
hoped by hand at the forge's fire.

He walks by his ox's head, ten days
to Portsmouth Market, and sells potatoes,
and the bag that carried potatoes,
flaxseed, birch brooms, maple sugar, goose
feathers, yarn.

When the cart is empty he sells the cart.
When the cart is sold he sells the ox,
harness and yoke, and walks
home, his pockets heavy
with the year's coin for salt and taxes,

and at home by fire's light in November cold
stitches new harness
for next year's ox in the barn,
and carves the yoke, and saws planks
building the cart again.

牛车主人

这年的十月
他数着土豆，从褐色土里挖出
数起种子，数出
存入地窖的那部分
其余的打包放在牛车的木板上

他打包四月剪下的羊毛，蜂蜜
用木梳刮取，亚麻布，皮革
已鞣制，取自鹿皮
醋装在桶里
双手祈求在炉火旁

他走过牛首，十天之后
前往朴茨茅斯市场，贩卖土豆，
及装过土豆的口袋，
亚麻籽，桦条扫帚，槭糖，
鹅毛，纱线。

车空了后，他卖牛车
牛车卖掉了，他卖他的牛，
挽具和轭，走路
回家，他的口袋沉甸甸
拥有一年的钱币买盐，交税，

在寒冷的十一月，借着家里炉火的微光
他缝制新的挽具
为来年牲口棚下的那头牛
雕刻轭，锯木板
再次打造牛车

In October of the year,
he counts potatoes dug from the brown field,

这年的十月
他数着从褐色土壤里挖出的土豆



—— 可能我更关注语流的自然，而陈老师更关注忠实于原版的逻辑

牛车主人，非常耐读的诗

许剑桐 发表于 2022-9-4 22:00
In October of the year,
he counts potatoes dug from the brown field,

是的，我比较忠实于原诗，想要保留更多的原汁原味。

陈智鹏 发表于 2022-9-5 11:37
是的，我比较忠实于原诗，想要保留更多的原汁原味。

赞同原汁原味的译式，读者更能体会到异域的语言逻辑、文化风格~

诗日历  世界诗歌网每日诗选第820期拟采用。感谢，多来哦~~：）