This beach
named “Ocean”
on the other shore
I crossed the sea and ocean
to land on
is the edge of the world
stretching endlessly
in America.

I heard that the waves
sometimes sprinkled
sand dollars
on her Golden Coast.

Even with the shells
sporadic and scarce
and shell pickers
numerous and eager
I neither full of hope
nor without hope
also lean over
to search.

Yet in the ocean storms
violent and capricious
the sand dollars
delicate and exquisite
may already have been crushed
drifting and scattering in gloom
unable to become whole again.

As my heart drained of spirit
my eyes exhausted of strength
inadvertently looking up
toward the vast water
I see the splashing fountain and
giant black back of a whale
emerging—
like hope
burdened with weight
but full of power
once arising
the whole ocean
will surge with it.

這彼岸的沙灘
我漂洋過海的
棲落之地
以海洋為名
是伸展無際的
美洲天涯

聽說那大海
有時會拋出
沙錢貝
灑落在她的
黃金海岸

儘管零星渺茫
拾貝者眾多
我並不滿懷希望
卻也不無希望地
俯身尋覓

而海上風暴無常
玲瓏的沙錢貝
或許早已被擊碎
黯然飄散
無法重圓

當我耗盡了
心神與眼力
無意中抬頭
望向那茫茫大海
卻看見飛濺的噴泉
鯨魚巨大的黑色脊背
在海上浮現—
如同希望
身背重負
卻充滿力量
一旦升起
整個海洋
都為之涌動