Under the shade of an ancient camphor tree, a broken bridge
A small shrine by the river

Candles densely planted at the corner, densely

People line up, taking turns to worship
Palms pressed together

For a morning of good business, or perhaps
things that can only be articulated
in a low murmur to oneself

Thick smoke rises all around
Beneath the thin ashes of paper offerings
The riverbank appears even more lucid

People from the nearby neighborhoods come here to worship,
sometimes on the first day of the lunar month, sometimes on the fifteenth
We cannot tell these signs from the moon and the constellations,
or other signs of nature
We simply pass through the middle of this month, silent in our watching,
until the proper hour arrives.

古树荫蔽之下断桥
河边的小庙
转角处插满蜡烛
排队轮流祭拜
双手合十
为了一个早晨的好生意
或是，一些只有在喃喃自语中才能说清楚的东西

浓烟四起
河岸显得澄澈

纸灰

附近的人们来此祭拜
有时在农历初一，有时在农历十五
我们无从分辨这些月亮与星座，或是其他自然的预示
只是经过这个月半，沉默的观望
一个合适的时辰