3

In the morning I cast my net into the sea.

I dragged up from the dark abyss things of strange aspect and strange beauty—some shone like a smile, some glistened like tears, and some were flushed like the cheeks of a bride.

When with the day's burden I went home, my love was sitting in the garden idly tearing the leaves of a flower.

I hesitated for a moment, and then placed at her feet all that I had dragged up, and stood silent.

She glanced at them and said, "What strange things are these? I know not of what use they are! "

I bowed my head in shame and thought, "I have not fought for these, I did not buy them in the market; they are not fit gifts for her."

Then the whole night through I flung them one by one into the street.

In the morning travellers came; they picked them up and carried them into far countries.

早晨我把网撒在海里。

我从黑暗的深渊里拉出奇形奇美的东西——有些像微笑般闪亮，有些像眼泪般闪光，有些像新娘的双颊般晕红。

当我带着一天的负担回到家的时候，我的爱人正坐在花园里悠闲地扯着花的叶子。

我迟疑了一会儿，就把我捞的一切放在了她的脚前，沉默地站着。

她瞥了一眼说：“这是些什么怪东西？不知道这些东西有什么用！”

我羞愧地低下头，心想：“我并没有为这些去奋斗，这些也不是从市场买来的；这不是送给她的礼物。”

整个晚上我把这些东西一件一件地丢到了街上。

早晨行路人过来，他们把这些捡起带到远方去了。