Wind Says: Selected Poetry of Bai Hua

Section VI. The Man Clothed in Birch Bark

(VI) The Man Clothed in Birch Bark 104 演春与种梨 一 日暮，灯火初上 二人在园里谈论春色 一片黑暗，淙淙水响 呵，几点星光 生活开始了…… 暮春，我们聚首的日子 家有春椅、春桌、春酒 呵，纸，纸，纸啊 你沦入写作 并暂时忘记了…… 二 足寒伤神，园庭荒凉 他的晚年急于种梨 种梨、种梨 陌生的、温润的梨呀 光阴的梨、流逝的梨 来到他悲剧的正面像 梨的命运是美丽的 他的注视是腼腆的 105 Performing Spring, Growing Pears 1 Dusk, above the lights two men are discussing spring in a garden Darkness, the gurgling of water Ah, dots of starlight life has begun . . . Late spring, the days of our reunion Spring chair, spring table, spring wine at home Ah, paper, paper, paper you sink into writing forget for now . . . 2 Cold feet and a forlorn look, the gardens, deserted He is eager to grow pears in his twilight years Grow pears, grow pears Strange, moist pears Pears of time, pears that die in the full portrait of his tragedy The destiny of a pear is beautiful His gaze is shy 106 但如果生活中没有梨 如果梨的青春会老死 如果、如果…… 那他就没有依傍，就不能歌唱 1990年9月30日 107 But if life has no pear if the youth of pears dies If, if . . . he would have no reliance, he would not sing September 30, 1990 108 现实 这是温和，不是温和的修辞学 这是厌烦，厌烦本身 呵，前途、阅读、转身 一切都是慢的 长夜里，收割并非出自必要 长夜里，速度应该省掉 而冬天也可能正是夏天 而鲁迅也可能正是林语堂 1990年12月11日 109 Reality This is gentle, an ungentle rhetoric This is vexing, vexation itself Ah, future, reading, turn back all is slow In a long night, harvest is not essential In a long night, speed should be abolished Winter could also be summer Lu Xun could also be Lin Yutang December 11, 1990 110 以桦皮为衣的人 这是纤细的下午四点 他老了 秋天的九月，天高气清 厨房安静 他流下伤心的鼻血 他决定去五台山 那意思是不要捉死蛇 那意思是作诗： “雪中狮子骑来看” 1990年12月11日 111 The Man Clothed in Birch Bark A slender four p.m. He is old Autumn in September, clear sky and fresh air The kitchen is quiet Sadness bleeds from his nose He decides to go to Mount Wutai — Do not catch a dead snake Write poetry: Come ride on the snow lion December 11, 1990 112 未来 这漂泊物应该回去 寂寞已伤了他的身子 不幸的肝沉湎于鱼与骄傲 不幸的青春加上正哭的酒精 啊，愤怒还需要更大吗？ 骂人还骂得不够 鸟、兽、花、木，春、夏、秋、冬 俱惊异于他是一个小疯子 红更红，白更白 黄上加黄，他是他未来的尸体 1990年12月 113 The Future The wanderer must return loneliness has already hurt his body His ill-fated liver indulged in fish and pride An ill-fated youth and weeping alcohol Ah, must you need more rage aren’t your curses enough? Bird, beast, flower, wood, spring, summer, autumn, winter astonished that he is a little madman Red more red, white more white yellow more yellow, he is the corpse of his future December 1990 114 初春 啊，来了，哈哈大笑的春天来了 那牢底已坐穿 再过三天就放学 那翅膀硬了的鸟可以飞了 孩子们在打着包裹 孩子们用手勾画长征的道路 而其中一个孩子举着羊头痛哭 他吵着要穿一件夏天的衣服 1991年2月 115 Spring Begins Ah, here it is, the laughing spring is here Prison is over School ends in three days The bird with hardened wings can now fly Children are packing up tracing the Long March with their hands A child holds up a goat head and wails He is crying for summer clothes February 1991 116 家人 生活就是在家里吃饭 其中一个人开口了 他说：“我是歌德 不是吃饭。” 他的妻子世态炎凉 感伤地坐在身边 接着是…… 接着是为了歌德之事干杯 应表示尊重 这里还坐着一位尴尬的体育教师 请不要再叫我吃饭 请封口、封酒 当乡下人急急忙忙来到北京 做起了扣子生意 他妻子正世态炎凉 感伤地坐在身边 1991年2月 117 Family Life is about dining at home Someone opens his mouth and says, I’m Goethe I don’t eat His fickle wife sits sadly by his side Next . . . A toast to Goethe to show respect An embarrassed sports teacher is also present Please don’t ask me to eat anymore Shut up and stop drinking Act like a peasant who runs to Beijing to sell buttons His fickle wife sits sadly by his side February 1991 118 除夕 墙上的无线电开口说话了 但请你不要对我说洞萧与兰草 如果此时我不在江苏 我也绝不会喝双沟酒 无话可说，无帽可脱 除夕，他只要求来一点水喝 写于1991年2月 改于2010年8月6日 119 New Year’s Eve The wireless radio starts to talk in the wall But please don’t say flute and boneset If I’m not in Jiangsu right now I’d certainly not drink Shuanggou wine Not a word, not a hat New Year’s Eve, he just wants some water February 1991 Revised August 6, 2010 120 衰老经 疲倦还疲倦得不够 人在过冬 一所房间外面 铁路黯淡的灯火，在远方 远方，远方人呕吐掉青春 并有趣地拿着绳子 啊，我得感谢你们 我认识了时光 但冬天并非替代短暂的夏日 但整整三周我陷在集体里 1991年4月 121 Scripture of Aging Weary yet not weary enough Man passes his winter Outside a house faint lights by the railroad, afar afar, afar a man vomits up his youth and playfully holds a rope Ah, I must thank you all I’ve known the passage of time though winter can’t replace brief summer days though these three weeks I sink into the collective April 1991 122 老诗人 阳春三月，田园善感 再过十天，他就五十岁了 他说还有一行诗在折磨他 哦，一颗扣子在折磨他 他头发潦草，像一个祖国 肥胖又一次激动桌面 文学，松松垮垮的文学 祖国，他视为业余的祖国 可他说： 文学应该因陋就简 祖国应该为此而出口 1991年2月 123 The Old Poet March in the spring, pastoral sentiments In ten days, he turns fifty He says still one verse tortures him No, it is a button torturing him His hair in disarray, like a homeland his fatness agitates the tabletop again Literature, slack literature Homeland, his amateur homeland Yet...