Kerestem az alkonyi madarat télen

Nyugat nyelt el aranynapot,
A lélegzet jégbe fagyott,
Fehér hóban hazatértem,
S egy madarat látni véltem.

Mikor arra jártam nyáron,
Felnéztem s meg kellett állnom;
Angyaltorkú madár dalolt,
Éneke édes és friss volt.  

Egy madár sem dalol most kint.
Az ágon árva levél ring,
Szemem mindössze ennyit lát,
Noha körbejártam a fát.

Dombról a kilátás remek,
Láttam, hogy a kristály-hideg
Fagyot adott csak a hóhoz,
Mint aranyfüst az aranyhoz.

Görbe nyomot vont az ecset,
Füstöt, felhőt égre festett
Észak-délig, míg szem ellát;
Kis csillag villant rajta át.

Looking for a Sunset Bird in Winter

The west was getting out of gold,
The breath of air had died of cold,
When shoeing home across the white,
I thought I saw a bird alight.

In summer when I passed the place
I had to stop and lift my face;
A bird with an angelic gift
Was singing in it sweet and swift.

No bird was singing in it now.
A single leaf was on a bough,
And that was all there was to see
In going twice around the tree.

From my advantage on a hill
I judged that such a crystal chill
Was only adding frost to snow
As gilt to gold that wouldn't show.           

A brush had left a crooked stroke
Of what was either cloud or smoke
From north to south across the blue;
A piercing little star was through.