Hou Ma
IN ZHUOZHOU
I was a teacher in Zhuozhou,
took the whole class to Zhoukoudian
to see Upper Cave Man.
On our way back by bicycle,
I sang a song,
Zhang Chu’s “Yellow Earth”.
When I was finished,
my students applauded me,
raising their hands.
And so they fell in a heap
on the road.
Don’t be a teacher!
Kids are just way too pure at heart.
10/14/17
Translated by MW in December 2017
鹿野最後一晚上
晚上苍天一時
變成怒火的猴子
一會儿也没了
晚霞像帆船
星星出來了
刚才看到彩虹
摩托車ͺ 汽車的灯
照上鐡門
是个小教堂
我们民俗斜對面
这几天没発现。
很低调的教堂,
像台東鹿野龍田
这个地区
在台灣也許很低调。
剛剛開始熟悉,
明天早上要走了。
2016/11
LETZTER ABEND IN LUYE
am abend wird der blaue himmel
ein zorniger affe,
einen augenblick lang
ein segelschiff,
dann kommen sterne.
grad war ein regenbogen –
motorräder- und autolichter
auf einem eisentor.
es ist eine kirche
gegenüber von unsereren zimmern,
tagelang hab ich sie nicht bemerkt.
unauffällige kirche,
wie lungtien in luye bei taitung,
unauffällige ecke auf dieser insel.
morgen früh fahren wir wieder weg,
grad erst wird mir der ort ein bisschen vertraut.
18. November 2016
Calligraphy by 陳世憲
Meng Lang
THOUGHTS AT THE END OF 2015, #8
I come from countless countries
I walk countless roads
I have countless sparkling kinds of myself
The one country you come from
the one road you’re walking
the one self you have is just going out
Tr. MW, Dec. 2015
Song Zhuangzhuang
FREEDOM
a person
face downwards
lies on the grass
like he’s dead
in the morning
close to the road
at his side
lies a guitar
in bangkok
he won’t freeze to death
maybe
he was just tired
and fell asleep
another ten minutes
they’ll be awake
he and his guitar
1/22/16
Tr. MW, Feb. 2016
Song Zhuangzhuang
FREIHEIT
ein mensch
kopf nach unten
liegt auf dem gras
sieht aus wie tot
in der früh
an der straße
an seiner seite
liegt eine gitarre
in bangkok
erfriert er
wenigstens nicht
vielleicht war er müde
hat sich hingelegt
in zehn minuten
wachen sie auf
er und seine gitarre
2016-01-22
Übersetzt v. MW im Febr. 2016
Picture by Thomas Wong
TIAN’ANMEN
even after tian’anmen
tian’anmen wasn’t always oppressive
you could fly a kite
then came the tanks
in 2009
for the 50th anniversary
of the liberation
this year they celebrate into september
beating the japanese
at least getting rid of them
I’m sure there will be
perfect command
of dancing children
no kites and no pigeons
at least for a while
MW August 2015
Yi Sha
SPIRIT ROAD
at the Eastern Tombs
they have a Spirit Road
when our lady guide
told us this path
was for calling the spirits
all of us poets
everyone diverted their feet
no matter which camp
intellectual or earthy
of the Third Generation
or the ones In Between
those with something to say
and those without
anyone who touched on the road by mistake
thought he stepped on a mine
and jumped back to the side
the road of the spirits
no trace of the living
no footprints at all
2005
Tr. MW, 2015
《东陵有条灵魂之路》
在东陵
有一条灵魂之路
当导游小姐
告诉我们
它作招魂之用时
所有诗人的脚
都小心翼翼地
回避开它
不论民间的
还是知识分子的
不论第三代的
还是中间代的
不论有话要说的
还是无话可说的
偶有不慎踩踏者
也都触雷一般
缩回脚来
灵魂之路
没有足印
没有人迹
2005
《老人家》
老人家晒太阳
坐在拐弯处
整一条路拐弯的地方
大家骑车、开车都看见
老人家晒太阳
只剩下几天
他的房子快拆了
过去一看就晓得
七八年了
路也许不同
老人家晒太阳
2015.6
SITS IN THE SUN
old man sits in the sun
sits in the curve
he has a few days
everyone sees him
everyone going past
bicycles, cars
old man sits in the sun
he has a few days
his house’s going down
an old house like that
in a curve will go down
that was eight years ago, maybe more
road will be different
maybe there is no curve
old man sits in the sun
MW June 2015
IMAGINE
you might as well give up the ghost
of a chance for change in this land
change has been very fast in this land for a while
you won’t recognize a road or a house
or a street is gone that you knew very well
a decade ago or maybe a week.
sometimes the wind clears up the smog
and you can see the sky, or even the hills
and the ranges farther afield with the walls.
there are no wars. this land is peaceful.
the army is the largest by far. there are no tanks.
a tank was burnt and some soldiers were killed.
imagine there’s no heavenly peace
and no rulers above us.
there is only sky and a kite and the doves.
it’s easy if you try.
imagine all the people …
MW January 2014
《想象》
你不妨放弃在这片土地上
寻机改变什么的梦魇
在这片土地上，变化如此之快
你会不辨旧路或老屋
或一条你所熟悉的街道已经消失
十年前，或许是一周前。
偶尔，清风吹散了雾霾
你能够看见蓝天，甚至山峦
以及更加辽远的长城。
并无战争。这片土地宁静和平。
军队是最庞大的怪物。没有坦克。
坦克被烧毁，士兵被杀戮。
想象没有天安……
没有统治者骑在我们头上。
只有天空、风筝和鸽子。
这很容易，你不妨试试。
想像众生……
2014.1
（伊沙 译）
