Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Ya Shi

MEASURE

Noon      sitting beneath the treetops where the great pines
open wide their robes      like an earthen jar, shaken but silent.
I confirm that the strength alien to all people
slowly nears me: if the webs between the branches
dangle      gleam like beads of morning dew
then they too are fragile and phototropic things.
Have a seat      think it over      in the long and narrow valley
on the hill stones covered in the green velvet of moss
once I discovered a set of enormous waist-deep footprints
as if a hand accustomed to arranging great affairs
had left proof of itself in an unpredictably tiny way:
such varied measure! A few skeins of glistening web
a few footsteps that made the valley seem like a toy —
listen      in the air, the constant zhazha sound of thunder's crush

尺度

尺度

晌午      坐在巨松敞开胸襟的
树冠下      象一只摇晃但又缄默的土瓮。
我肯定那不为人知的力量
已缓缓向我靠近:如果说枝间的蛛网
悬垂      如清晨的露珠闪亮
那也是这易碎的物事有着向光的属性。
坐下来      想想      在狭长的山谷里
在那些绿绒绒苔藓覆盖的山石上
我曾发现几个巨大而深陷的脚印
似乎那习惯于处理宏大事物的手
已在不可能预想的细微处留下证明:
多么不同的尺度!几绺湿亮的蛛网
几个曾将山谷视为儿戏的脚印──
你听      空中总有闷雷碾过的轧轧之声
Close

MEASURE

Noon      sitting beneath the treetops where the great pines
open wide their robes      like an earthen jar, shaken but silent.
I confirm that the strength alien to all people
slowly nears me: if the webs between the branches
dangle      gleam like beads of morning dew
then they too are fragile and phototropic things.
Have a seat      think it over      in the long and narrow valley
on the hill stones covered in the green velvet of moss
once I discovered a set of enormous waist-deep footprints
as if a hand accustomed to arranging great affairs
had left proof of itself in an unpredictably tiny way:
such varied measure! A few skeins of glistening web
a few footsteps that made the valley seem like a toy —
listen      in the air, the constant zhazha sound of thunder's crush

MEASURE

Noon      sitting beneath the treetops where the great pines
open wide their robes      like an earthen jar, shaken but silent.
I confirm that the strength alien to all people
slowly nears me: if the webs between the branches
dangle      gleam like beads of morning dew
then they too are fragile and phototropic things.
Have a seat      think it over      in the long and narrow valley
on the hill stones covered in the green velvet of moss
once I discovered a set of enormous waist-deep footprints
as if a hand accustomed to arranging great affairs
had left proof of itself in an unpredictably tiny way:
such varied measure! A few skeins of glistening web
a few footsteps that made the valley seem like a toy —
listen      in the air, the constant zhazha sound of thunder's crush
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère