At the Frozen Lakeshore and China

by Minglu Zeng

Translated by Dajian Wang

At the Frozen Lakeshore

The lake was frozen.
The sun touching the horizon.
The western sky was rouge-like
over the woods through the open.

Tiny flowers had withered.
The cottonwoods stood proud.
There was neither green color
nor sound thereabouts.

A boy came leading his sister by hand
on the path along the lake bank.
One palm muffling his mouth, the brother whispered
into the ear of the younger sister.

The sister burst into a giggle
puffing a gush of white vapor
that blocked the view of her
pretty eyes with twinkle.

妹妹和哥哥 在结冰的湖畔

湖水结冰了
夕阳低沉
胭脂色的天边
漠漠平林

小花凋零了
高高的白杨
没有绿
也没有声

一对小兄妹走过来了
踏着湖边的小径
哥哥捂着嘴
贴近妹妹的耳根

妹妹突然咯咯笑了
一溜白色的烟
半遮去她
水灵灵的眼睛

 

China

The Great Wall, so eroded under the weather
can’t protect my well-being any longer
So tarnished are the classic scrolls
they yield no power in binding my soul

I am
like a wild chrysanthemum
amidst the hillside woods in blossom
Do you still recognize me?

I have discerned your smile
so erudite looking
like five-thousand tree-rings
so at ease
like each and every drop in rivers and seas
so heart-warming and tender
like the sunshine in winter

Once again I have had myself released
into a nestle of your themes:
perseverance, wisdom, your magnificent sweep

中国

风化了的城墙，已经
保护不了我
褪色了的经典，已经
约束不了我

我象一朵
粗野的菊花
开放在万木之坡
你，是否还
认得我？

你微微笑了
那么深邃
象五千个年轮
那么平易
象每一滴河水
那么温柔
象冬日的光辉

我再一次
被你的信息所拥抱：
坚忍、恢宏、智慧

Editor’s Note on At the Frozen Lakeshore and China:

At the Frozen Lakeshore and China is not the first piece of Minglu Zeng’s work published by Eastlit. Previous work includes:

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