The Griesly Wife
Lie still, my newly married wife,
Lie easy as you can．
You’re young and ill accustomed yet
To sleeping with a man．
The snow lay thick, the moon was full
And shone across the floor．
The young wife went with never a word
Barefooted to the door．
He up and followed sure and fast,
The moon shone clear and white．
But before his coat was on his back
His wife was out of sight．
He trod the trail wherever it turned
By many a mound and scree*,
And till the barefoot track led on,
And an angry man was he．
He followed fast, he followed slow,
And still he called her name,
But only the dingoes* of the hills,
Yowled back at him again．
His hair stood up along his neck,
His angry mind was gone,
For the track of the two bare feet gave out
And a four-foot track went on．
Her nightgown lay upon the snow
As it might upon the sheet,
But the track that led from where it lay
Was never of human feet．
His heart turned over his chest,
He looked from side to side,
And he thought more of his gumwood fire
Than he did of his griesly* bride．
And first he started walking back
And then began to run,
And his quarry wheeled at the end of her track
And hunted him in turn．
O, long the fire may burn for him
And open stand the door,
And long the bed may wait empty：
He’ll not be back any more．
注 dingoes*:wild dogs
scree*： stony slope
griesly*:uncanny,mysterious
神秘的妻子
“躺下吧, 我新婚的妻子,
自由自在, 安安静静；
与男人睡在一起,
你还太过年轻, 不大适应。”
外面的积雪已深,
屋里透进了满月的光明；
年轻的妻子一声不吭,
光着脚丫走出家门。
他翻身起床随后紧跟,
月光辉耀皎洁明净；
可还没等他披好衣服,
妻子就消失得无综无影。
追过一座座山一面面坡,
他紧紧跟随那雪上的脚印；
那赤足的脚印不断往前,
他心中的怒火油然而生。
他在后面紧追慢赶,
大声呼喊着她的姓名,
但只有山中成群的野狗,
向他报以狂吠声声。
他不由寒毛倒竖,
胸中的怒火也荡然无存；
因为一双赤脚的足迹已经消失,
变成了四足的印痕继续前行。
她的睡衣脱在雪地,
像摆放在床上合于常情；
可那周围延伸开去的足迹,
又绝不是人类留下的脚萤
他举目四周张望,
一阵恐怖使他失魄丧魂；
他忆起那橡胶木的炉火,
不敢再想他新婚的神秘女人。
他开始迈步返回,
紧接着就拔腿飞奔；
他追逐的脚印转过身来,
反倒把他作为猎物追寻。
啊, 那炉火会为他悠悠燃烧,
那新房开着门将他迟迟久等；
那张空床也将无尽地期待,
可他再也不会重返家门。