10 years ago, Yi Sha 伊沙 began to present one poem each day on Chinese social media. This has become a representative collection of new poetry in the new century, aptly named NPC, New Poetry Canon 新世纪诗典.
Eight years ago I began to look for NPC poems each day, translating more and more into German and English. In 2014 my own poetry appeared on NPC for the first time. After two books of Yi Sha’s poetry, I have now published, along with Juliane Adler, the first book of a 4-volume-series of NPC poetry in Chinese and German. Here are the contents:
BRETT VOLLER NÄGEL 布满钉子的木板 NPC-Anthologie新世纪诗典
Band 1: A–J. Gedichte
Chinesisch/Deutsch
Übersetzt von Martin Winter
Herausgegeben von Juliane Adler und Martin Winter
ISBN 978-3-903267-00-8
Lieferbar
€ 24.00
On my way to the vegetable supermarket
in our compound
I see a small girl
on a big rock at the artificial lake
right above the ice going to
jump!
I am shouting:
„Don’t jump! Danger!“
But in this time
she has jumped already,
lightly,
safely
landing on the thick surface.
She turns around to me,
makes a ballet move
and becomes a small white swan.
Translated by MW, 4/3/2021
Yi Sha WINTER
Ich geh zum Gemüsesupermarkt
in der Wohnhausanlage,
seh auf dem Weg ein kleines Mädchen
auf einem Felsen am künstlichen See,
sie will auf das Eis hinunter
springen!
Ich schrei:
„Achtung! Nicht springen!“
aber in der Zeit
ist sie schon gesprungen,
ganz leicht
und sicher
auf dem festen Eis gelandet.
Sie dreht sich zu mir um
in einer Bewegung aus dem Ballett
und wird ein kleiner weißer Schwan.
Yi Sha, orig. name Wu Wenjian. Well-known poet, writer, critic, translator, editor. Born in 1966 in Chengdu, lives in Xi’an. Graduated from Beijing Normal University in 1989. Has written over 20,000 poems, published, translated and edited 122 books. Received the Henry Luce prize for contemporary Chinese poetry and many other awards. Invited to poetry festivals in China, Sweden, England, Netherlands, South Korea etc., incl. the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Qinghai Lake international poetry festival, the 50th Struga poetry festival in Macedonia and many more. Vermont Studio Center fellow 2014. He has recited at the University of Vienna, at Arizona University etc. 《新诗典》小档案：伊沙，原名吴文健，男，当代著名诗人、作家、批评家、翻译家、编选家。 1966年生于四川成都。1989年毕业于北京师范大学中文系。写诗逾两万首，出版著、译、编122部作品。获美国亨利•鲁斯基金会中文诗歌奖金、韩国“亚洲诗人奖”以及中国国内数十项诗歌奖项。应邀出席瑞典第16届奈舍国际诗歌节、荷兰第38届鹿特丹国际诗歌节、英国第20届奥尔德堡国际诗歌节、马其顿第50届斯特鲁加国际诗歌节、中国第二、三、四、五届青海湖国际诗歌节、第二届澳门文学节、美国佛蒙特创作中心驻站作家、奥地利梅朵艺术中心驻站作家、美国亚利桑那大学为其举办的朗诵会、奥地利两校一刊为其举办的朗诵会与研讨会、2021年世界诗歌日线上国际诗歌节等国际交流活动。
BRETT VOLLER NÄGEL 布满钉子的木板 NPC-Anthologie 新世纪诗典 Band 1: A–J
NPC stands for New Poetry Canon, or New Century Poetry Canon 新世纪诗典, presented by Yi Sha 伊沙 in Chinese social media each day since spring 2011. NPC outside of poetry is National People’s Congress, China’s parliament that convenes in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for two weeks each March. Yi Sha’s NPC poem of the day on Sina Weibo 新浪微博, Tencent WeChat 微信 and other platforms gets clicked, forwarded, commented 10,000 times or more, each day. Each year a book comes out, about every week there are events in Xi’an, Beijing and many, many places all over China and beyond. All produced independently from among the people 民间, not by any state organizations. This book contains poems by 81 poets listed below. This is the first volume (A-J) in a series of four books. Compiled and edited by Juliane Adler and Martin Winter, translated by Martin Winter.
NPC steht für New Poetry Canon, eigentlich New Century Poetry Canon, 新世纪诗典. Abgekürzt als NPC. NPC steht sonst für National People’s Congress, also der Nationale Volkskongress, Chinas Parlament, das allerdings nur einmal im Jahr im März zwei Wochen lang zusammentritt. Seit 2011 wird von Yi Sha 伊沙 im NPC-新世纪诗典 jeden Tag ein Gedicht vorgestellt, in mehreren chinesischen sozialen Medien zugleich. Oft wird ein einziges Gedicht schon in den ersten zwei Tagen zehntausende Male angeklickt, kommentiert und weitergeleitet. Ein nationaler Poesiekongress und eine umfangreiche Studie der heutigen Gesellschaft. Band 1 präsentiert 81 Autorinnen und Autoren. Wird fortgesetzt.
Cover/Umschlag etc: Neue Arche von Kuang Biao 邝飚 und 3 Grafiken von: An Qi 安琪
Autorinnen und Autoren:
A Ti 阿嚏, A Wen 阿文, A Wu 阿吾, A Yu 阿煜, AAA (3A) 三个A, Ai Hao 艾蒿, Ai Mi 艾米, An Qi 安琪, Ao Yuntao 敖运涛, Bai Diu 摆丢, Bai Li 白立, Bei Dao 北岛, Bei Lang 北浪, Benben S. K. 笨笨. S. K, Cai Xiyin 蔡喜印, Caiwong Namjack 才旺南杰, Caomu Xin 草木心, Cha Wenjin 查文瑾, Chang Yuchun 常遇春, Chao Hui 朝晖, Che Qianzi 车前子, Chen Moshi 陈默实, Chen Yanqiang 陈衍强, Chen Yulun 陈玉伦, Chen Yunfeng 陈云峰, Cheng Bei 成倍, Cheng Tao 程涛, Chun Sue 春树, Cong Rong 从容, Da Duo 大朵, Da You 大友, Dai Guanglei 代光磊, Dechen Pakme 德乾恒美, Denis Mair 梅丹理, Di Guanglong 第广龙, Dong Yue 东岳, Du Qin 独禽, Du Sishang 杜思尚, Du Zhongmin 杜中民, Duo Er 朵儿, Eryue Lan 二月蓝, Ezher 艾孜哈尔, Fa Xing 发星, Fei Qin 秦菲, Feng Xuan 冯谖, Gang Jumu 冈居木, Gao Ge 高歌, Geng Zhankun 耿占坤, Gong Zhijian 龚志坚, Gongzi Qin 公子琹, Gu Juxiu 谷驹休, Guangtou 光头, Gui Shi 鬼石, Hai An 海岸, Hai Jing 海菁, Hai Qing 海青, Han Dong 韩东, Han Jingyuan 韩敬源, Han Yongheng 韩永恒, Hong Junzhi 洪君植, Hou Ma 侯马，Houhou Jing 后后井, Hu Bo 胡泊, Hu Zanhui 胡赞辉, Huang Hai 黄海, Huang Kaibing 黄开兵, Huang Lihai 黃禮孩, Huang Xiang 黄翔, Hung Hung 鴻鴻, Huzi 虎子, Ji Yanfeng 纪彦峰, Jian Tianping 簡天平, Jiang Caiyun 蒋彩云, Jiang Erman 姜二嫚, Jiang Rui 江睿, Jiang Tao 蔣濤, Jiang Xinhe 姜馨贺, Jiang Xuefeng 蔣雪峰, Jianghu Hai 江湖海, Jin Shan 金山, Jun Er 君儿
BRETT VOLLER NÄGEL 布满钉子的木板 NPC-Anthologie 新世纪诗典 Band 1: A–J
Die chinesischen Gedichte sind hauptsächlich erschienen in:
NPC 新世纪诗典 1-6，伊沙 编选 著，磨铁图书 (Xiron), Zhejiang People‘s Publishing 浙江人民出版社, Bände 1-6, herausgegeben von Yi Sha. Hangzhou 2012-2018
NPC 新世纪诗典 7，伊沙 编选 著，磨铁图书 (Xiron), China Youth Publishing 中国青年出版社, Band 7, herausgegeben von Yi Sha. Beijing 2018
NPC 新世纪诗典 8，伊沙 编选 著，磨铁图书 (Xiron), China Friendship Publishing 中国友谊出版公司, Band 8, herausgegeben von Yi Sha. Beijing 2020
Die restlichen Texte stammen aus Internetquellen (Soziale Medien: Sina Weibo, Tencent Weixin etc.) mit freundlicher Genehmigung der Autorinnen und Autoren. Die Texte aus 2019 und 2020-2021 werden in den Büchern NPC 9 und 10 erscheinen.
BRETT VOLLER NÄGEL 布满钉子的木板 NPC-Anthologie 新世纪诗典 Band 1: A–J
Xu Lizhi 许立志 IN SCHLAFLOSEN NÄCHTEN SOLL MAN NICHT SCHREIBEN
in schlaflosen nächten soll man nicht schreiben
in schlaflosen nächten schreiben macht schmerzen schlimmer
in schlaflosen nächten schreiben macht einsamer
in schlaflosen nächten schreiben macht es trostloser
in schlaflosen nächten schreiben macht noch verzweifelter
in schlaflosen nächten schreiben macht lebensmüde
in schlaflosen nächten will ich nicht schreiben
will in schlaflosen nächten im sarg hin und hergehen
in schlaflosen nächten vorm fenster stehen
in schlaflosen nächten am rücken liegen am bauch an der seite
in schlaflosen nächten das licht abschalten einschalten
in schlaflosen nächten an der straße hocken und trinken
in schlaflosen nächten die stimme erheben und singen
in schlaflosen nächten den himmel auslachen
in schlaflosen nächten ganz leise schluchzen
in schlaflosen nächten heulen und röhren
in schlaflosen nächten einen unfall mitansehen
in schlaflosen nächten über die straße gehen und zurück
in schlaflosen nächten über die straße gehen und zurück
in schlaflosen nächten über die straße gehen und zurück
in schlaflosen nächten rote zigarettenstummel am straßenrand aufheben
in schlaflosen nächten mich selber anzünden
in schlaflosen nächten das kalte leben auf einmal verbrennen
taking a walk in the afternoon
I come out of the east gate of fengqing park
and I see
a young woman leaning on a bicycle
talking on her cellphone:
“hello, director chen
just let my kid into your school
on top of the 50,000 sponsoring money
I will add 10,000 for you,
ok? ….”
behind her
on the back seat of the bicycle
sits a little boy
three or four years old
I walk down the street
but after a while
under the afternoon
hot summer sun
I want to cry
not because I am moved
I’m not moved at all
it was no surprise
it was perfectly normal
but I want to salute
the downtrodden masses accepting their fate
myself among them
the great chinese people
Yi Sha WATCHING THE BEIJING CAPITAL INDOOR STADIUM FROM A WINDOW OF THE JAPAN AIRLINES NEW CENTURY HOTEL
It isn’t as grand
as it was before;
but still my heart
goes pounding.
So many beautiful
youthful memories;
like the willows around it,
they are still blowing.
One evening in May, 1987
I was here watching the game
when the Chinese badminton team
won all five world championship titles
for the first time.
I saw Yang Yang beat Morten Frost
Li Yongbo and Tian Bingyi
They were still in the team
and won the men’s doubles for the first time.
After the games
I rode a shoddy bicycle
through Beijing’s midnight streets
shouting and screaming
“Long live China!”
in between the traffic.
In the same year
I went with a girl
to the Northwest folk rock concert
“My hometown is not beautiful,
low straw houses, bitter well water …”
Tengger’s voice, my blood went boiling.
After the concert
I didn’t bring her home,
just up to the night bus;
that was the more responsible way …
Oh, someone’s knocking,
my friends are here.
I have to leave the window
and open the door.
Oh, I haven’t thought
of that time for a while.
actually, they have
just finished their early shift
and found a noodle shop
to let their spent up bodies rest for a while
handmade noodles, two yuan fifty fen
they don’t want to pay any more for the sauce
only a tea-egg
colored much like their skin
happiness rolled into one
they keep the egg and the soup till the end
as if to remind themselves
not to let this darkness
pass into their wives’ pregnant bellies
Prone to nosebleed since I was small
I have a few methods
to stop the blood.
Ice-cold water on the forehead;
middle finger tied at the base;
raise up your hand on the other side;
block your nose with tissue paper.
It might also be a good choice
to use chalk from the blackboard.
The most unique method
comes from my grandfather, my mother’s father.
Up in the hills or in the fields
suddenly my nose was bleeding.
He never panicked,
took off one shoe (those shoes made from cloth),
one side of the sole
he pressed on my nostril
and kept rubbing.
From the sole, a taste of mud;
a taste of sunlight;
a taste of grass;
a taste of sheep droppings;
a taste of dead insects;
stirred up together
right up my nostril.
I choked and gasped,
the blood shot back up.
soccer fans all over the world
know about pele’s predictions
he knows before who wins the crown
and who must go down
even brazil his own team
he has predicted bad luck for them
several times, these are
all facts
proving
he’s the real deal
king of the game
every real king talks to the spirits
right or wrong is all one
der mond ist groß und hell hinterm haus gegenüber
nicht sehr weit oben, gleich über den kränen
der erste sommer im neuen haus
der erste winter, der erste frühling
der war nass und kühl
jetzt ist es richtig sommer geworden
so viele mohnblumen
so viele lichter
so viele neue wohnungen
und ein besetztes haus in der nähe
wahrscheinlich kommen die schmierer von dort
die unsere neuen häuser verschönern
ein sechzehnjähriger liegt noch im koma
nach einer ubahn-graffitti aktion
die polizei war offenbar gründlich
und die security der wiener linien
der mond ist rund und hell hinter wolken
gleich dort hinterm haus
on august 23rd 1931
sholohov and pasternak
sat down together for breakfast
at moscow airport
before bording a plane bound for kiev
to watch the soviet soccer team
they were invited
70 years ago in the soviet union
the official writer’s association chairman
and a dubious poet
the only time they went out together
it was all in the name of soccer
70 years later in china
one week ago
I had the same experience
2001
Tr. MW, June 2014
Yi Sha
MEMOIREN
am 23. august 1931
saßen scholochow und pasternak
am moskauer flughafen
im kaffeehaus zusammen beim frühstück
dann stiegen sie in ein flugzeug nach kiew
dort spielte das sowjetische team
sie waren beide eingeladen
vor 70 jahren in der sowjetunion
der präsident des autorenverbandes und ein dichter der grauzone
auf dieser einen gemeinsamen reise
und nur für den fußball
siebzig jahre später in china
vor einer woche
hatte ich die gleiche erfahrung
I dreamed of
dutch coach van marwijk
beaten in the finals
in his silver-grey suit
that familiar image
but on his left chest
a bloody hole as big as a plate
as if he’d been bombed
black smoke still curling
his heart fell out
a crimson frog
skinned for the frying pan
jumps on the lawn
his son-in-law
mark van bommel screaming
“quick! put our trainer’s heart back in place!”
bald robben looks old
missed three golden chances
now he’s kneeling down
picks up the heart
and puts it back
into the hole in van marwijk’s chest
and then the whole team
each one hugging the trainer
the hole in his chest
has disappeared
caught by a whiff of salty fish
I know I have entered the square
the biggest fish market in town
is on the south side
so the square has been reeking
all through the years
at the east is the science museum
never been in there
don’t know what they have
young pioneers palace is on the west side
I sneaked in alone
when I was 14
to see the human body display
I stood in front of a model
of female sexual organs forever
without understanding
now I’ve come to the north of the square
they call it the front side
from a double decker window
I can see everything
the province government building
looks quite imposing
up there my wife whiled her hours away
for shabby pay
the square – concrete slabs and some grass
they are lowering the flag
it’s at the middle now
looks like half-mast
22 years ago in september
we were standing here mourning
the former leader who had just died
red kerchiefs and our young faces
drenched in icy autumn rain
our white-haired principal
standing there howling through wind and rain
“What will happen to China?”*
I can see the whole scene
now I see the spectators gleaming
in the sunset
a heap of tangerines
I see two people
have left the ranks
they are two grown-up men
holding hands
running towards the east of the square
and my bus keeps going west
so I can’t make out
where they might be going
1998
Tr. MW, June 2014
*“What will happen to China?”, literally “Whither China?”, “Where is China going?”, in Chinese Zhongguo Xiang He Chu Qu 中国向何处去 was the title of a political essay published in Big Character Posters in 1968, written by the 19-year-old Yang Xiaokai 杨小凯 who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his text. In the end he became an economist and taught at universities in China, USA and Australia (online sources).
ein gestank nach salzigem fisch
sagt mir ich bin auf den platz vorgedrungen
der größte fischmarkt der stadt
ist im süden des platzes
deshalb ist er durch die jahre
von diesem geruch durchweht
im osten steht das technische museum
ich bin nie hineingegangen
weiß nicht was es drinnen gibt
im westen steht der jugendpalast
einmal schlich ich mich hinein
als 14jähriger schüler
es ging um das geheimnis des körpers
ich stand sehr lange vor einem modell
weiblicher fortpflanzungsorgane
ich blickte auch am ende nicht durch
jetzt bin ich schon am nordrand des platzes
man sagt hier die vorderseite
aus einem doppeldeckerfenster
kann ich alles überblicken
das provinzregierungsgebäude
erhebt sich doch recht stattlich
meine frau war dort oben beschäftigt
für kümmerlichen lohn
über den platz – gras und betonziegel
man lässt gerade die fahne hinunter
sie ist bei der hälfte
sieht aus wie auf halbmast
im september vor 22 jahren
standen wir in trauer hier
der frühere staatsführer war grad gestorben
junge gesichter mit roten halstüchern
im eisigen herbstregen
der schuldirektor mit weißen haaren
stand heulend und jammernd im wind und im regen
“was wird aus china?”
ich hab es noch genau vor augen
jetzt seh ich die zuseher
in der sinkenden sonne
sehen sie aus wie ein haufen orangen
ich sehe auch zwei menschen
sie haben sich schon aus der menge gelöst
es sind zwei erwachsene männer
hand in hand
laufen sie zum osten des platzes
mein bus entfernt sich nach westen
ich kann nicht erkennen
wohin sie am ende gehen
in my first two days in lhasa
I bought two lighters
one with a picture of robben
the other with messi
they were both useless
breathless entirely
on this snowy highland
on the roof of the world
even lighters
show a reaction
even soccer stars
can’t keep up the flame
but on the third day
we went up the potala
when we came down again
at the bottom
in a small shop
I bought another one
this lighter had no problem at all
it showed a picture
of a living buddha
May 2012
Tr. MW, June 2014
Yi Sha 3 FEUERZEUGE
in meinen ersten zwei tagen in lhasa
kaufte ich zwei feuerzeuge
eines mit robben
eines mit messi
beide nutzlos
ausser atem
auf der hochebene
auf dem dach der welt
sogar feuerzeuge
werden höhenkrank
sogar fußballstars
geht hier das feuer aus
aber am dritten tag
waren wir im potala
und darunter
auf dem rückweg
in einem kleinen laden
kaufte ich ein feuerzeug
das funktionierte einwandfrei
auf ihm war ein
lebender buddha
There were demonstrations in Vienna yesterday. I went during the day, but in the evening I was too tired. It was important in the evening, of course. They let far-right organizations march through the city, canvass at universities and so on, aggressively protected by police. Anti-fascist protesters have a hard stand. Police brutality is fatal sometimes. A young subway sprayer was beaten into a coma by Wiener Linien public transport security and police in early April, and has not woken up since then. In the evening of June 3rd, the East Asian Studies department at Vienna university held an open discussion. The most interesting thing was three young female students who had interviewed Fang Zheng 方政 via Skype. He was that athlete whose legs were severed by a tank when he helped a female student get out of the way in the morning of June 4th, 1989. He became a disabled athlete and set records. But they were always worried he would get too much publicity, so he was barred from some international events. He kept quiet during the Olympics in 2008, so that he would get his passport and could leave in 2009. Lives in San Francisco, chairs an exile organization there. That presentation was great. The North Korea specialist made some interesting remarks, and in the end a Chinese professor finally made a brief personal statement. Vienna University vice president Prof. Weigelin-Schwiedrzik asked the students present what they would have done, if they would have stayed on the square under the threat of martial law. It is a romantic question – the protests in 1989 are always romanticized, as if it had been one great student party. Students took the lead, but the most important thing about any nationwide protest is popular participation, workers and many common people, not elites. Same with Taiwan’s recent Sunflower Movement. Anyway, I raised my hand and said I could not know what I would have done. Several people said so. I said I was in Taiwan in 1989, they also had demonstrations, with different aims. The February 28th, 1947 massacre in Taiwan had not yet been acknowledged. What I should have said when I raised my hand was that everyone present should think about taking part in the anti-fascist protests the next day in Vienna, on June 4th, 2014.
du you think you are an existentialist?
do you think you like to eat zha jiang mian?
do you think you are collecting antiques?
do you think you are following fashion?
do you think you have improved since you started?
do you think you have fulfilled your ideals?
do you think you’re a patriot?
do you think you love the truth?
do you think you dare to say it?
do you think you don’t fear retribution?
do you think you’re a good writer?
do you think you’re a poet?
do you think you’re a good mother?
do you think you’re a good father?
do you think you have loved?
do you think you are moral?
do you think microblogging makes China improve?
question mark mark mark
do you think they are prophets?
do you think you’re a groupie?
do you think there are things you don’t talk about?
do you think there are people you cannot offend?
do you think this novel is your autobiography?
do you think you have talent?
do you think your stuff is going to last?
do you think you have secrets?
do you think you have a big heart?
do you think you are fair to everyone?
do you think you’re responsible?
do you think you play by the rules?
do you think you have nothing to be ashamed of?
do you think you are self-important?
do you think you want revenge?
do you think you are scared of dying?
do you think you make people like you?
do you think you make people hate you?
do you think you have a future?
do you think you are falling behind?
do you think you are lonely?
do you think you are writing a poem?
this girl makes you crazy
let her go on babbling
asking herself
Tr. MW, June 2014
Chun Sue DREAMING OF LIVING INSIDE A DREAM
Tr. MW, June 2014
Published in EPIPHANY magazine, fall 2014. Go on, look for this great Chinese Dream! I spent October 2014 at Vermont Studio Center with Yi Sha, editor of the daily New Century Poetry series 新世纪诗典. Chun Sue is one of the most well-known figures within this huge independent circle of poets.
Chun Sue MORNING, AVENUE OF ETERNAL PEACE
Little Brother says: dad, Avenue of Eternal Peace
take a good look
This is the road you walked for over 20 years
I am sitting with Papa and Little Brother
I am almost crying
Finally I know
why I like the Avenue of Eternal Peace
Slowly the car passes the Military Museum
and the red walls of Zhongnanhai
and Xinhua Gate
Papa is small now he fits in an ash box
sitting between us
doesn’t take up much space
We pass the Gate of Heavenly Peace
and I see him
He stands on the square
watching us while we’re passing
Why was it so hard to write about you
You’re the son of a peasant
I was born in a village
I am also the child of a peasant
I put on army songs for you all night
Crying my heart out —
I like all that too.
中国大好き 