也许你是哭得太累，
也许，也许你要睡一睡，
那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，
蛙不要叫，蝙蝠不要飞，

不许阳光拨你的眼帘，
不许清风刷上你的眉，
无论谁都不能惊醒你，
撑一伞松荫庇你睡，

也许你听这蚯蚓翻泥，
听这小草的根须吸水，
也许你听这般音乐，
比那咒骂的人声更美；

那么你先把眼皮紧闭，
我就让你睡，我让你睡，
我把黄土轻轻盖着你，
我叫纸钱儿缓缓的飞。

PERHAPS(A DIRGE) WenYiduo

Perhaps you cried yourself tired;
Perhaps you feel like taking a nap,
Then I'll tell the owls¹ not to cough,
The frogs not to croak², and the bats not to fly.

I won't let the sun pry³ your eyelids⁴ up
Or the wind brush your fore⁵ head.
No one will startle or awake you;
A pine parasol will shade you.

Perhaps you will hear earthworms turning soil
And grass roots sucking water;
Perhaps the music you hear will be sweeter than human curse.

Then close your eyes tightly;
I'll let you sleep, let you sleep.
I'll cover you gently with yellow earth
And set the smoke of paper gold slowly rising.