Poem
Yang Lian
RUINS OF A SAGE
they were perhaps doing no more than discussing goatsslowly sipping tea as dusk deepened
moonlight drifting over an unbroken swathe of pine needles
the big resin-perfumed trees firmly underpin
the quadrangle of mountain shadow splashing the day’s birdsong away
the limestone bench locking the travellers in
in watchful attention the voice picked them clean
a jade-like distance condensed in a porcelain cup
set gently down still so moist and translucent
© Translation: 2013, Brian Holton
RUÏNES VAN DE FILOSOFEN
goed mogelijk dat ze alleen maar over geiten sprakenlangzaam van de thee nipten donkere schemering
drijvend maanlicht over een aaneengesloten vlakte van dennennaalden
de grote bomen met pijnboomharsgeur ondersteunen
de bergschaduwen rondom morsen het vogelgezang van de dag
een arduinstenen bankje sluit de reizigers in
luisterend worden ze door stemmen schoon gepikt
een afstand als jade bezonken in een porseleinen theekop
glanzend glad en transparant wanneer het zacht wordt neergezet
© Vertaling: 2013, Silvia Marijnissen
哲人之墟
他们可能只不过在谈论山羊缓缓嗍一口茶 浓了暮色
连成一片的松针上漂着月亮
松香味儿的大树稳稳撑着
四合的山影 泼掉一日鸟声
一张青石凳反锁游客
谛听中 他们被口音剔净
一只瓷茶杯沉淀如玉的远方
轻轻放下时仍温润而透明
© 2013, Yang Lian
Poems
Poems of Yang Lian
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RUINS OF A SAGE
they were perhaps doing no more than discussing goatsslowly sipping tea as dusk deepened
moonlight drifting over an unbroken swathe of pine needles
the big resin-perfumed trees firmly underpin
the quadrangle of mountain shadow splashing the day’s birdsong away
the limestone bench locking the travellers in
in watchful attention the voice picked them clean
a jade-like distance condensed in a porcelain cup
set gently down still so moist and translucent
© 2013, Brian Holton
RUINS OF A SAGE
they were perhaps doing no more than discussing goatsslowly sipping tea as dusk deepened
moonlight drifting over an unbroken swathe of pine needles
the big resin-perfumed trees firmly underpin
the quadrangle of mountain shadow splashing the day’s birdsong away
the limestone bench locking the travellers in
in watchful attention the voice picked them clean
a jade-like distance condensed in a porcelain cup
set gently down still so moist and translucent
© 2013, Brian Holton
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