WANG WEI
His name is actually
Wang Youwei.
Literally that means
King with a tail,
or Wang with a tail.
He is a poet
in today’s Xi’an.
Wang Wei is the great
Tang dynasty poet.
His grave is outside of Xi’an,
the former Tang dynasty capital Chang’an,
in a somewhat derelict factory.
The factory makes
something for spaceflight,
so it is secret,
big signs anounce that.
There is a roadside restaurant
called Wang Wei’s Grave.
It belongs to the factory.
In a galaxy far, far away,
we all sneaked in together,
to recite poetry
under the tree
that Wang Wei planted
thirteen hundred years ago
or so.
It was a great dynasty
in retrospect.
That’s why I call
Wang Youwei
Wang Wei,
I just can’t help it.
MW August 2023
王维
维马丁
西毒何殇译
他的名字其实是
王有尾。
字面意思是
长着尾巴的国王,
或者有条尾巴的王。
他是一个诗人
在今天的西安。
王维是伟大的
唐代诗人。
他的坟墓在西安郊外,
即唐朝的都城长安,
一座有些荒废的工厂里
这家工厂制造
航天的玩意儿,
所以它是机密,
大标识明示了这一点。
有一家路边餐厅
叫“王维墓”。
它属于工厂。
在一个遥远的星系,
我们一起溜进去
读诗
在王维
大约一千三百年前
亲手栽种的
树下。
回想起来
这是一个伟大的王朝。
这就是为什么我把
王有尾叫作
王维
我就是忍不住。
2023年8月