我要用痛苦的光秃秃的石头为自己建造房屋;作为一个泥瓦匠，我要一块石头一块石头地把它砌起来，每一块我流血过的石头都会显出暗红的痕迹。我所行的路没有徒然。因我一切的痛苦都有益处。我灵魂的宁静之家将由我踩过的光秃秃的石头建造，在我看不见上帝的路上。2我不愿有神进来保护我，使我脱离罪恶，修理我生命的殿。也不是翅膀明亮燃烧的天使指挥我尘世的思想和事物;而是我自己微弱的灯光被风吹灭，几乎被摧毁;而是恐惧的夜晚，在疑惑之后漫长而病态的摸索;我宁愿迷失，也不愿让我的灵魂模糊地脱离我的控制——让我独自而微弱地掌握我自己的精神。 III. Lessons Unless I learn to ask no help From any other soul but mine, To seek no strength in waving reeds Nor shade beneath a straggling pine; Unless I learn to look at Grief Unshrinking from her tear-blind eyes, And take from Pleasure fearlessly Whatever gifts will make me wise -- Unless I learn these things on earth, Why was I ever given birth? IV. Wisdom When I have ceased to break my wings Against the faultiness of things, And learned that compromises wait Behind each hardly opened gate, When I can look Life in the eyes, Grown calm and very coldly wise, Life will have given me the Truth, And taken in exchange -- my youth. V. In a Burying Ground This is the spot where I will lie When life has had enough of me, These are the grasses that will blow Above me like a living sea. These gay old lilies will not shrink To draw their life from death of mine, And I will give my body's fire To make blue flowers on this vine. "O Soul," I said, "have you no tears? Was not the body dear to you?" I heard my soul say carelessly, "The myrtle flowers will grow more blue." VI. Wood Song I heard a wood thrush in the dusk Twirl three notes and make a star -- My heart that walked with bitterness Came back from very far. Three shining notes were all he had, And yet they made a starry call -- I caught life back against my breast And kissed it, scars and all. VII. Refuge From my spirit's gray defeat, From my pulse's flagging beat, From my hopes that turned to sand Sifting through my close-clenched hand, From my own fault's slavery, If I can sing, I still am free. For with my singing I can make A refuge for my spirit's sake, A house of shining words, to be My fragile immortality.