NATIONAL DAY
This is Austria’s National Day.
You can stand in line
for a rather long time
to look inside.
It feels rather hollow.
You knew that before.
Most people are friendly,
guarding the power.
Rooms are old and tall.
Imperial times
are very remote.
Everyone knows
something unspeakable
was in between.
MW October 26, 2024
国庆
奥地利国庆
可以去排队
等一段看见
政府楼里面
感觉很空洞
你早都知道
人都还善良
权利的保安
天花板高上
皇帝时代
现在很遥远
谁都知道
难说的事
就在中间
2024.10
RAVENNA
All sorts of bands
and flowers and strands
and lines and motifs
lie intertwined
beneath the old church
of Santa Eufemia.
Take a close look,
they are dancing,
the lines and so on.
A big Roman house
with courtyards and tiles
all over the floors.
A dance of the seasons.
They say Summer is missing,
or maybe it’s Spring,
holding Winter’s hand,
like Autumn does
on the other side.
Winter is wrapped in blue,
around the head too.
Crooked lines come out
above the head.
Is it a fool?
They say it’s grass,
maybe reeds.
And there is a shepherd,
the second big mosaic,
also with a pan-flute.
Two storeys above
is the old city.
This city below was the western capital
of the Byzantine empire
among other things.
Then there is Dante,
buried in a mound
overgrown with green leaves
all-year round
in 1944 and 1945,
German hell-hounds were loose.
Maybe one year
his bones were in there,
the shape of the mound
reminded me of an old poetess
in China in Xi’an, formerly Chang’an,
the old capital.
Cai Wenji was her name.
Her mound is much bigger,
and very well kept,
much in contrast to all the graves
of famous male poets.
She was politically very important.
Back in Ravenna
in winter
wrapped against the cold
we move on
to our next monument.
MW December 30, 2019
NEON
Neon reigned in 452.
No, this was the year
they built the mosaics
the wonderful dome
under bishop Neon.
It’s the Orthodox baptistery.
Much more elaborate
than the Arian one
across the old city.
Each apostle is named.
Most have a beard.
Simon looks like a woman.
The Arian dome
has only one throne
and here there are four,
they are all empty too
but there are also four books
in between, the four gospels.
Blessed are those whose iniquities
and sins are remitted,
says one inscription.
MW December 30, 2019
IVORY THRONE
The ivory throne
was for Bishop Maximian,
550 or something.
Joseph and his brothers.
Jesus feeds 5000 people.
The annunciation,
the water test
for Mary’s virginity.
What was that exactly?
Carved panels in different sizes
all around the back and on the sides.
Blank parts in between,
maybe panels are missing.
Ebony covered with ivory.
Somewhere in the museum
with Saint Andrew’s chapel,
wonderful mosaics.
Then in the afternoon
Saint Apollinaire in Classe.
Classe was the harbour
of the Roman fleet
and the main port
until the ninth century.
The church is huge,
and there were more,
there is a museum
in the sugar factory,
closed in 1982.
The sea isn’t far.
MW December 30, 2019
SAN VITALE IN RAVENNA
You know right away
you are in a place of worship.
In this way it’s like the Alhambra.
At least I hope the Alhambra retains it,
haven’t been there for 38 years.
A sense of awe
and exultation,
no matter how many people,
how many tourists.
Very big, very grand, spacious.
Filigree columns, needlework stone.
Very very high, many arches.
Mosaics.
Some of the best ones
in this splendid city.
A sacred place.
Stay.
The whole city is sacred.
Drink,
try to retain
some of this beauty.
MW December 31st, 2019
Liu Xia
HYSTERISCHE REDE
ich bin die seele von einem mann namens nijinsky
ich esse sehr wenig obwohl ich dünn bin
ess nur was mein geist mich essen lässt
ich mag keinen angeschwollenen bauch
sonst kann ich nicht tanzen
ich hab angst vor den leuten
ich habe angst vor ihnen zu tanzen
sie wollen das tanzen zur unterhaltung
aber die unterhaltung ist tot
sie könnens nicht spüren
und wollen doch dass ich lebe wie sie
ich bleib lieber daheim
bleib weg von den leuten
schließ mich ein in die wohnung
schau auf die wände auf den plafond
ich kann auch leben wenn ich gefangen bin
ich bin ein philosoph ohne denken
auf der bühne des lebens
und keine fiktion
ich bin ein geist in einem körper
rede gern in gedichten
also bin ich der rhythmus
schlafmittel helfen mir nicht beim schlafen
alkohol auch nicht
ich werd immer müder
ich möchte gern aufhören
der geist lässt mich nicht
ich will geradeaus gehen
ganz hoch hinauf und runterschauen
die höhe spüren die ich erreichen kann
ich will gehen
2003
Übersetzt von MW im September 2017
癔语
我是尼金斯基身体里的灵魂
我吃得很少，尽管我很瘦
我只吃神让我吃的东西
我讨厌鼓胀的肠子
那会阻碍我跳舞
我害怕人群
害怕在他们面前跳舞
他们要我跳欢娱的舞蹈
欢娱就是死亡
他们感觉不到
却要我过和他们一样的生活
我要留在家里
避开人群
把自己关在房间里
望着天花板和墙壁
监禁中我也能找到生命
我是不思想的哲学家
是生命的剧场
不是虚构
我是有身体的神
喜欢用诗来谈话
我就是韵律
安眠药不能让我入睡
酒也不能
我越来越累
我想停下来
但神不允许
我要一直走
走到很高的地方往下俯视
感觉我所能到达的高度
我要走
2003
中国大好き 