My Shoes by Charles Simic《我的鞋子》查爾斯·西米克

My Shoes Charles Simic Shoes, secret face of my inner life: Two gaping toothless mouths, Two partly decomposed animal skins Smelling of mice nests. My brother and sister who died at birth Continuing their existence in you, Guiding my life Toward their incomprehensible innocence. What use are books to me When in you it is possible to read The Gospel of my life on earth And still beyond, of things to come? I want to proclaim the religion I have devised for your perfect humility And the strange church I am building With you as the altar. Ascetic and maternal, you endure: Kin to oxen, to Saints, to condemned men, With your mute patience, forming The only true likeness of myself.

《我的鞋子》查爾斯·西米克 鞋子，內心生活秘密的面貌： 兩張大開的沒牙的嘴， 兩張些許腐爛的皮革， 散發著老鼠窩的味道。 我夭折的兄弟姊妹 在你的身上存續， 指引我的人生 仿傚他們那不可思議的天真爛漫。 書本對我有什麼用？ 穿上了你我能見證 我存在世上的福音 以及更遠的，未來的一切 我要把這份信仰宣揚 奉你最崇高的謙卑 在我建的這座奇異教堂裡 以你為祭壇 禁欲並且仁慈，是你的教義： 對役牛、對聖人、對罪人一視同仁， 你無聲的忍耐，組成 我唯一真實的畫像。 譯於貳零壹陸年叄月柒日深夜