張子翊

約但河畔
蝗蟲野蜜生成了曠野吶喊
駱駝皮衣堪比王宮裏細軟
蘆管吹出眾民悔罪聲
加稅吏加兵丁

耶穌來了
耶穌來了。你站一旁
不腰疼繫解他鞋帶
不吃味眾人轉投他
不自大衰微與興旺

希律安提帕
我橫刀我真理
我狐狸我狐疑
奈若何你忤逆我愛
奈若何我一言既出

Machaerus 地牢
濕冷地牢傳來腳鐐聲
驚醒房角一隻灰鼠
看盡人間冤屈
只能嘆氣：

要等何人
救他出監
要待何時
眾民得贖

刀起頭落
喀嚓一聲
點著的明燈就此滅了？
灰鼠打了個寒顫

窗外
風雪大作

附註：參照路 3:1-20、7:18-28；約 3:22-30
2025年10月19日於Boston

A Sketch of John the Baptist

By the Jordan Riverbank
Locusts and wild honey raise a wilderness cry
Your camel-hair garment outshines palace finery
A reed pipe breathes repentance through the crowd
tax collectors, soldiers, all drawn in

Jesus Has Come
Jesus has come. And you stand to the side
no aching pride as you stoop to loosen his sandals
no jealous fire when the crowds follow him
no boast when you fade and he grows bright

Herod Antipas
My sword is the truth
I am the fox, I live by doubt
How dare you cross the love I claim?
And how do I take back what I have said?

Machaerus Dungeon
From the cold, damp pit comes the clank of chains
startling a gray rat curled in the corner
It has watched the world’s injustices
and can only sigh:

Whom do we wait for
to lift him from this cell?
How long must we wait
till the people find their ransom?

The blade rises; the head falls
A single crack is all it hears
Has the burning lamp gone out for good?
The gray rat shivers.

Outside the window
wind and snow in a furious swirl.

Note: Luke 3:1–20; 7:18–28; John 3:22–30
(10/19/2025, Boston)

Translated by Lance Pan