The Shanghai poet Hai An recently asked me to work with him on translations of two of his poems in advance of the 25th anniversary meeting of the Shanghai Translators Association. So I did.
A HIGH-SPEED TRAIN
With her last glance she sees
The scene collapsing out the window. A dragonfly gone
A little girl in a train car amidst fellow townspeople
The instant of blooming done, undone
A flash of summer lightning in the south hits the line
Strikes the high-speed train strikes the heart of state machinery
So much pain out in the fields, so many souls departing, such
Sudden news shocks this world
For a century, the train passed far from her house
And further yet into her dreams. Dragonflies skimmed low
Rails disappearing far into the distance cut the horizon, drew her far
Trains from the west vanishing into the sky
A siren wails. Day cuts into night again and again
Wakes us up, wakes up as in the past
And tonight unknowing she
Falls into night without end or beginning
(2011)
动 车
她最后的一瞥，看见
窗外的景致坍塌。蜻蜓不见了
一位小女孩，随同一车的父老乡亲
顷刻间完成一生的绽放
一道南国的闪电，击中了一列
飞奔的动车，一列国家机器的中枢
哀鸿遍野的惨痛，纷飞的灵魂
一夜间，震惊了全球
整整一百年，火车开到了家门口
开进她的梦想。蜻蜓低飞
那长长的铁轨，一再撑开她的远方
火车打从西方驶来，消失在更远的天际
汽笛声声。黑夜只是暂歇的白昼
还会醒来，一如既往地醒来
而今晚，她的灵魂无从知晓
为何要湮灭在这片黑漆漆的夜色里？
（2011）
TSUNAMI
The sea rose broke down the door
And came straight at you
Dragged you into its water, surrender
Struggle shall cease without delay
Drift, drift with the flotsam
Though dead, you cannot sink into the sea
People, shut up for once about your dignity and rights
The dahlias on Sumatra
Notorious Dahlias
In full bloom in the sea
But boundless is the ocean
Where we find love, rise from suffering
As in mere moments the sea rose
to reclaim its lost territory
(2004)
海 啸
大海站起身，破门
走到你的面前
拉下水，卸去一切武装
战火即刻消停
随波逐流，漂成一堆垃圾
死了不让你沉入海底
人类，奢谈你的尊严与权利
苏门答腊岛的大丽花
臭名远扬的大丽花
在大海怒放
而更为辽阔的是心灵之海
爱，正从苦难中起身
大海站起身，一夜间
收复所有的失地
(2004)