Diamond and rust

from The Very Best of Joan Baez 1998

Well , I、ll be damned
Here comes your ghost again
But that、s not unusual
It、s just that the moon is full and you happened to call
And here I sit, hand on the telephone
Hearing a voice I、d known a couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall

As I remember your eyes
were bluer than robin、s eggs
My poetry was lousy, you said
"Where were you calling from?"
"A booth in the Midwest"
Ten years ago I bought you some cufflinks
You brought me something
We both know what memories can bring
They bring diamond and rust

Well, you burst on the scene were already a legend
The unwatched phenomenon
The original vagabond you strayed into my arms
And there you stayed temporarily lost at sea
The Madonna was yours for free
Yes, the girl on the half shell
Could keep you unharmed

Now I see you standing with brown leaves falling all around
Snow in your hair
Now you、re smiling out the window of that crummy hotel over Washington Square
Our breath comes out white cloud mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me
We both could、ve died then and there

Now you、re telling me you、re not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You who、re so good with words and at keeping thing vague
Cause I need some of that vagueness now
It、s all come back too clearly
Yes , I love you dearly
And if you、re offering me diamonds and rust
I、ve already paid

我好像是被詛咒似的，因為你總是陰魂不散 ，
就在這滿月的時分，我接到你的電話，
這讓我感到有些不尋常，
我坐在這，拿著電話， 聽著電話那頭你那再也熟悉不過的聲音，
也準備再次接受傷害。

我依稀記得你那雙比知更鳥蛋還要藍的眼睛，
你還說過我寫的詩 糟透了！

你從那裡打電話來的？
在中西部的某個電話亭？

還記得十年前我買過袖扣送你嗎？
你也送過我一些東西，
其實我們都明白，這些回憶能夠帶來些什麼？
它只能帶來我們如鑽石與鐵鏽般戀情的回憶。

你成功的經歷已成了傳奇，這已是不經的事實，
那時候的你就像是在海上迷航的流浪者，
在聖母的眷顧下漂泊進了我的臂彎裡，
是的，我就像蚌殼一般保護著你，
使你不會受到傷害。

如今，我看到你獨自佇立在紛飛的落葉中，
髮上還覆蓋著白雪，
我還記得在那間可以遠眺華盛頓廣場的破舊旅館，
你站在窗前微笑著，
我們彼此呼出的氣如雲霧般交錯、凝結在冷空氣中，
對我來說，當時氣氛的凝重，彷彿能致你我於死地。

你對我說，你並不懷念這段舊戀情，
那麼請告訴我你來電的用意，
你不是一向擅於咬文嚼字，
喜歡說那些讓人聽得曖昧難懂的話嗎？
我現在很想再聽你說這些話，
過去的一切對我來說清晰如眼前，
是的，我是曾經深愛著你，
但是，如果你想再給我如鑽石與鐵鏽般的愛情
那麼我告訴你；我已經付出過代價了。