"The Hound"

by Robert Francis

Life the hound
Equivocal
Comes at a bound
Either to rend me
Or to befriend me.
I cannot tell
The hound's intent
Till he has sprung
At my bare hand
With teeth or tongue.
Meanwhile I stand
And wait the event.

 

پرسش انگيز  است رفتارِ سگ تازی


يا مي جهد كه پاره پاره ام كند

 يا دوستم گردد
اصلاً نمي فهمي كه قصدش چيست.
يا با زبان و يا به دندان
به سمت دست های خالي من خيز بر مي دارد
اينجاست
كه مي ايستم


تا كه
چه پيش آيد 


 

Francis  uses an extended metaphor throughout the poem, comparing life to a hound that may or may not be friendly when it approaches.

Life and hound are said to have certain things in common. Or, since he used the word 'equivocal', have uncertainty in common. Life, like a dog, sometimes comes in a friendly fashion, but sometimes attacks.

Tone is slippery, so you can support lots of answers, whichever appeals to you personally. Same with diction.