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