A Song of Joys

Helen Wylie

Bamboo sticks still carry toffee haws

Frozen from the Gobi Desert wind,

The earth and trees and branches stay

Dryly stilled of growth as if dead.

No green yet, they stay instead

For weeks in drab winter grey,

But the old man with the pipe grinned

Sensing that the edge of the canal thaws.

Dust of winter drought lies on everything;

The sun contains no breath of heat;

Although light scarves are worn with flair

Coats left unbuttoned around midday

And a new gaiety fills the children's play, Everyone still clings to long underwear;

No mild southern winter can beat

The tension of waiting for the northern spring.解冻

魏海仑

被从个戈壁大沙漠吹来的风所冻结的

冰糖葫芦还带着糖衣，

大地、树木、枝桠仿佛都已死亡

终止了生长。

尚无绿意，还要再有个把月

仍需穿着冬天单调的灰色，

但那叼着烟袋的老者却咧嘴笑了

他感到运河边的冰已开始融化。

冬旱造成的尘土覆盖着一切；

太阳没有一丝热气；

虽然有人将浅色的围巾很帅地围在脖子上，

虽然中午时分有人敞开了外套

虽然孩子们嬉戏时新添了一层兴头，

但人人仍不肯脱掉棉毛衫裤；

人们等候北方春天到来的那份焦躁

岂是南方暖和的冬天所可比拟。