Song Tik-lai 宋澤萊
FAREWELL TO THE 20th CENTURY
Thank you, 20th century
We all grew up some time with you
I was born and grew up too
In your arms I feel at home
In your last year
You are generous
To set me free
One hundred years
Two world wars
Cold war east-west
Countless other wars and conflicts
I don’t have much experience
I carried my gun
Two years military service
Thank heavens
I stayed alive
One hundred years
One economic depression
America’s streets full of beggars
Some nations went hungry
Russia and China adopted
Communism
I have only shallow experience
When I was small
There was no rice
But there were dried sweet potatoes
Thank you
I didn’t stay hungry
Although malnourished
There was political tragedy
Military dictators
Even governing through terror
Countless people
Went to jail
Wailing was heard on
The earth’s every corner
I have limited experience
Held and carried
Flags and banners
Walked in streets
Of silent protests
There was art in various ways
Dadaists and surrealists
Stream of consciousness, expressionism
Existentialism, postmodernism
Baffling and shouting, collapsing
Suicide and going crazy
I don’t have much experience
Still at my desk
With simple words
Writing my poems
I went to Grandpa’s grave
One hundred years of graves and mounds
Thousands and millions
Buried simply
Left in the 20th century
Wrongs and grievances abroad
I don’t know much and beg your pardon
I went through this time
And stayed alive
20th century
I don’t count as your victim
Listen, century
I’m not qualified
To raise my voice
In blame
But begging your pardon
At night when the Milky Way blazes
Raising my head
I often think of
Flying away
Tr. Martin Winter, Jan. 2013
With help from Khinhuann Li 李勤岸
宋澤萊
告別二十世紀
感謝二十世紀
庶呢長e時間
予我會凍出世、生長
值妳e懷中我感覺有歸屬
最後e這年
妳寬宏大量
予我離開
一百年
有兩遍世界大戰
東西冷戰
無數e大小戰爭
庶我呒是攏有體驗
干擔八揭搶
做二年e 兵
感謝天
我平安度過
一百年
有一遍經濟大蕭條
美國滿街攏乞食
有人民大飢荒
露西亞、中國實行
共產主義
我e 體驗真淺
干擔值囝仔時代
無米通食
但是，猶有番薯簽
感謝
我無飫著
雖然有卡欠營養
有真濟e政治悲劇
軍人獨裁
甚至恐怖統治
有算朆了e志士
入監牢
哭聲值地球e
每一個角落
我e 體驗無深
干擔八揭
幾遍旗仔
值街仔路
恬恬抗議
有真濟藝術
達達、超現實
意識流、表現主義
存在主義、後現代主義
迷惑、喝喊、瓦解
自殺、起犭肖
我呒是攏有體驗
猶原值桌子頂
用尚簡單e字
寫我e 詩
我八去阿公埋骨e
百年大墓仔埔
歸千歸萬人
埋值土腳
亻因值二十世紀留落
外濟e委屈
原諒我呒是完全清楚
我猶原值世間
繼續活落去
二十世紀
我假那受害無夠深e
世紀
無資格大聲
責備
但是，原諒我
值夜晚銀河燦爛e時
揭頭
我不時道想卜
飛離開妳
中国大好き 