Eight Fragments

 
1. Which Pornographic Peach Blossom

Which pornographic peach blossom dreamt of me biting into this juicy peach
and thought up this question in the orchard of the Queen of the West?
I, the Monkey King, stole in here—and now I must steal out.

2. Facing the Sea

Facing the sea, back toward the city.
Trying to face the city at the bottom of the sea, the city of coral and jellyfish, a fifty-thousand-year-old city
but instead seeing the city in the sky, where black bears and leopard cats roam, a city outside of time.

3. Customary Imaginations

Think of a snake and it will be a poison snake, as if there were no snakes but poison snakes;
think of a shark and it will be a man-eating shark, as if the whole world were Disney.
As a responsible man, I would like to say to all non-harmful snakes and sharks, I’m sorry.

4. A New Jiangnan

The sky is dreary this is old Jiangnan. Birds of a new era fly through the sky of old Jiangnan.
On the river in old Jiangnan the motorized ferry isn’t new or old, or is old although it’s new, describing the arc of an old path.
On the other shore the buildings tower over the mountains this is one hundred percent the new Jiangnan.

5. Tradition and Ghosts

In traditional places there are as many ghosts as people, or even more ghosts than people, or even ghosts and no people.
I hear someone talking and know that he’s a ghost, but I don’t want to mention it:
I’m afraid of scaring the ghost, and afraid of scaring the people listening to the ghost.

6. A Dialogue on an Atom Bomb

One colleague said: I’m opposed to an atom bomb coming down and blowing up only me!
Another colleague said: Even if it were a dud, an atom bomb could still come down and crush you!
Yet another colleague said: Look how mean you are—when the atom bomb comes you two just run off, I’ll take care of it!

7. The Old Actor

The old actor acts as others, living sixty lives in one life, sure.
Finally reaching the end of the act, all life’s bitter and sweet remain.
The old actor acts as others up to his own death. Be quiet please, turn out the light please.

8. The Little Actress

In makeup about to step onstage in pink shirt and pink pants, the little girl bares her shoulders to the wind.
She is neither happy nor sad, like all other girls.
The instant before walking onto that old open-air platform she hikes up her pants.

2009, 2011
 

八段诗

1.哪一朵色情的桃花

哪一朵色情的桃花曾梦见过这只多汁的桃子现在被我咬下一口
并想到这个问题在西王母的蟠桃园中?
我,齐天大圣,偷偷地进来,还得偷偷地出去。

2.面向大海

面向大海,背向城市。
意图面向海底的城市,珊瑚和水母的城市,5万年前的城市,
却看见了空中的城市,那里游荡着狗熊和山猫,是没有时间的城市。

3.习惯性想象

一想到蛇,必是毒蛇,仿佛除了毒蛇没有蛇;
一想到鲨鱼,必是吃人的鲨鱼,仿佛全世界都是迪斯尼。
对那些无害的蛇和鲨鱼,作为一个成熟的男人,我要说一声“对不起”。

4.新江南

天空阴沉这是旧江南。新时代的小鸟飞在旧江南的天空。
旧江南的江面上机动渡轮半新不旧,虽新而旧,走着旧日的斜线。
对岸的楼房盖得比山岭高出一截这已是百分百的新江南。

5.传统和鬼

有传统的地方人多鬼多,甚至人少鬼多,甚至无人而有鬼。
听一人讲话我知道他是鬼,但我不愿点破:
害怕吓着鬼自己,同时也吓着听他讲话的其他人。

6.关于原子弹的对话

同事说:我反对原子弹掉下来炸我一个人!
另一位同事说:如果原子弹哑了火,真有可能掉下来砸死你!
再一位同事说:什么境界呀你们这是?要是原子弹袭来你们先撤,我顶着!

7.老演员

老演员演别人,一辈子活六十辈子,可以了。
终于到了戏演完的时候,酸甜苦辣还在继续。
老演员演别人终于演到了自己的死。请安静一会儿,请关灯。

8.小演员

化了装的准备登台的小姑娘粉衣粉裤,肩膀露在风里。
她既不快乐也不悲伤,像其他小姑娘一样。
在迈步登上那古老的露天舞台之前的一瞬间 她提了提裤子。

2009,2011

Poem by Xi Chuan. Translations by Lucas Klein.

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