Jiang Tao
CHRISTMAS TREES ON THE SQUARE
The street lamps on the side of the square
are hung with security cameras
like a bunch of abandoned
Christmas trees.
6/28/19
Translated by MW, September 2019
Jiang Tao
CHRISTBÄUME AUF DEM PLATZ
Die Straßenlampen auf dem Platz an der Seite
sind behängt mit lauter Überwachungskameras,
wie verlassene Christbäume.
28.6.’19
Übersetzt von MW im September 2019
广场上的圣诞树
蒋涛
广场边的路灯下
挂满了监视器
像一棵棵废弃的
圣诞树
2019.06.28
Jiang Tao
PHOTO
Third year in primary school,
our class goes to climb the Great Goose Pagoda.
As we line up
a group of tall and gleaming white
Europeans comes by.
An old lady
gently pulls me out of our ranks
for a photo together.
Our class monitor smiles on the side.
This morning
our group from China
comes to Cambodia’s Cultural Village.
From a mother who looks less than 40
I take a boy
to hold him for a photo.
Like holding
myself as a child.
1/25/19
Translated by MW, Febr. 2019
Yi Sha
DREAM 1271
sleep is being buried alive
waking up is being dug out again
dream is the world
when you open your eyes
in the dirt
April 2018
Tr. MW, May 2018
Yi Sha
DREAM 1274
The Poemlife BBS is still active,
someone has posted
my numbers are fake.
In my NPC I never presented
900 people or 2500 poems.
I’m having serious self-doubts,
even thinking,
“If he says it, goddamn, it must be true.”
April 2018
Tr. MW, May 2018
Yi Sha
DREAM 1276
NPC poets visit Japan
Jiang Tao shoots
one adult movie per person
as soon as they know
these movies won’t enter China
it’s no big deal
April 2018
Tr. MW, May 2018
Yi Sha
DREAM 1277
I am a Barça manager,
but not the general manager.
The general manager wants to buy
two Suárez clones.
I strongly object,
thinking he doesn’t know about football.
April 2018
Tr. MW, May 2018
Yi Sha
DREAM 1279
A strange girl,
doesn’t exist in reality,
uses the phone in a kiosk
(doesn’t exist anymore)
to call her parents.
Her happy laugh makes you smile.
Your relationship with her
is revealed at the end of the dream.
April 2018
Tr. MW, May 2018
Yi Sha
DREAM 1280
In a crowd
I hold Wang Youwei by the arm,
he can hardly stand
after drinking.
I turn around,
my bag has been snatched,
everything I have on this trip
was in there.
What do I do now?
I think of returning home
and I’m not afraid anymore.
My home with my mother
alive.
April 2018
Tr. MW, May 2018
Yi Sha
DREAM 1282
dreams:
the subconscious
is making wine
April 2018
Tr. MW, May 2018
空洞消息
爬山的路修得很棒
爬山以后很想吃水果
上世纪八十年代发现的
北纬35度苹果真的很甜
唐朝法輪寺
老松树长出宋朝的塔
文革毁了碑文
有人说老毛写得好
有老和尚摸我的毛
有人说天津死了一千
或许更多
2015.8.14
梦里过马路
梦见小时候熟悉的街头
等着过马路
绿灯可能没了
想闭着眼睛快点过去
怕还没有到对面，不敢打开眼睛
一打开醒来了。
Tu Ya
CROWS
crows are a sign of bad luck around here
at jiang tao’s grandmother’s place they are nice birds
Tr. MW, June 2015
Jiang Tao
MESSI BRINGT GLÜCK
messi
im argentinischen nationaldress
steht
am rand des dorfes zumglück
ein junger mann mit der nr. 10
des argentinischen nationalteams
kickt
kickt keinen weltmeisterschaftsball
kickt ein pedal
eines motorrads
wartet auf fahrgäste
2014-07-19
Übersetzt von MW im Oktober 2014
Jiang Tao
LUCKY MESSI
Messi
in the official Argentine colors
standing
at the entrance to Lucky Town
he is number 10
this young man
in the Argentine team dress
kicking
no official world-cup ball
kicking
a motorcycle pedal
waiting for passengers
2014-07-19
Tr. MW, Oct. 2014
