Xing Hao
CHILDREN
At Wuwei airport near Nanning
with fellow poet Martin from Austria
near the security gate,
a child is crying.
Martin suddenly asks:
“Do you have children?”
“Yes, I have two.
And my children
also have children!”
Martin gives me a thumbs-up:
“Great!”
What is so great, I am thinking,
back then my wife with her big belly,
always trying to hide;
writing a heart-felt self-criticism,
undergoing sterilization,
forking out a huge fine,
still losing job and insurance.
Didn’t want to depress our guest,
so I told him nothing
about our Chinese characteristics.
2017
Translated by MW, October 2017
《孩子》
在吴圩国际机场
送奥地利诗人维马丁
快到安检口时
有个孩子哭了
维马丁突然好奇地问：
“你有孩子吗？”
我说：“有
有两个！
而且我的孩子
也有了孩子！”
维马丁竖起大拇指：
“好，很好！”
我心想，好什么呀
想当年妻子挺着个大肚子
成天担惊受怕东躲西藏的
写了深刻的检讨
做了残忍的绝育手术
交了昂贵的罚款不说
把铁饭碗都给丢了
为了不让维马丁扫兴
这些中国特色的破事儿
我没告诉他
2017
Xing Hao
FAITH
My 80-year-old aunt
is a devout Christian.
She goes to St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome,
brings me a beautiful cross with a necklace,
sacredly hangs the cross on my neck.
She looks at me happily,
gushing:
“This is wonderful.
They always say on TV,
when the people have faith,
there is hope for the nation!”
2017
Translated by MW, October 2017
《信仰》
八十高龄的姑姑
是个虔诚的天主教徒
她从梵蒂冈圣彼得大教堂
给我带回一条精美的十字架挂链
非常神圣地挂到我脖子上
姑姑十分满意地
边看我边叨叨：
“这多好
电视上都说了
人民有信仰
国家有希望！”
2017
