Gedicht
Zhai Yongming
Midnight’s Judgement
we need our worries to see ghostsin order to see repeatedly the white human outlines
vanish like mirages at midnight
otherwise, such a commonplace sound
fills the room blowing things repeatedly around
for one person alone to hear vast without limit
in the brain recollection crawls over the crown of the head
spinning its web over things eye-witnessed
each night I feel frightened
faint footsteps in dream
walk unheard of on the stairs
repeatedly in motion for one person alone to suffer
medicine swallowed before sleep
will cut me off from daytime
the tender, considerate lover at my side goes off to sleep
happy, at ease oblivious of the fact that my night spirit
lies outside his cuckoo cloud land
we need our worries to be afraid
in order to discover our checkmates
on day’s headstone
otherwise, the letters of the dead
would not repeatedly score direct hits on my heart
and repeatedly give warning of the vigorous arrival
of this fundamental invisible
what it excels in: making its majesty
felt from inside the feelings
each night I wake eyes shut tight
human forms with clouded faces appear repeatedly
the enclosing walls and that wall overhead
coming together in error
continually the head drops from the shoulders of my companion
crying and weeping in panic on my behalf
my next life becoming a burden in his dreams
strange spaces float in the dark
adding weight to my familiar taste
we need our worries to die
in order not to recognize the face of the world even to this day
otherwise our ancestors would repeatedly question us
about that miserable all-concentrating fate
the death of one encompasses the history of everyone
a dream encompasses every possible method of dying
each night I dream at two in the morning
the winding moon wraps me tightly
in its huge tongue so that I cannot get going
I have seen the snake’s face human faces
the intact body of the goat
the trace of the crawling spider
no happiness in any of them!
and I know all that from dream
to gentle, considerate hands
will cut me off from night
© Translation: 2004, Simon Patton
MIDNIGHT'S JUDGEMENT
© 2004, Zhai Yongming
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MIDNIGHT'S JUDGEMENT
Midnight’s Judgement
we need our worries to see ghostsin order to see repeatedly the white human outlines
vanish like mirages at midnight
otherwise, such a commonplace sound
fills the room blowing things repeatedly around
for one person alone to hear vast without limit
in the brain recollection crawls over the crown of the head
spinning its web over things eye-witnessed
each night I feel frightened
faint footsteps in dream
walk unheard of on the stairs
repeatedly in motion for one person alone to suffer
medicine swallowed before sleep
will cut me off from daytime
the tender, considerate lover at my side goes off to sleep
happy, at ease oblivious of the fact that my night spirit
lies outside his cuckoo cloud land
we need our worries to be afraid
in order to discover our checkmates
on day’s headstone
otherwise, the letters of the dead
would not repeatedly score direct hits on my heart
and repeatedly give warning of the vigorous arrival
of this fundamental invisible
what it excels in: making its majesty
felt from inside the feelings
each night I wake eyes shut tight
human forms with clouded faces appear repeatedly
the enclosing walls and that wall overhead
coming together in error
continually the head drops from the shoulders of my companion
crying and weeping in panic on my behalf
my next life becoming a burden in his dreams
strange spaces float in the dark
adding weight to my familiar taste
we need our worries to die
in order not to recognize the face of the world even to this day
otherwise our ancestors would repeatedly question us
about that miserable all-concentrating fate
the death of one encompasses the history of everyone
a dream encompasses every possible method of dying
each night I dream at two in the morning
the winding moon wraps me tightly
in its huge tongue so that I cannot get going
I have seen the snake’s face human faces
the intact body of the goat
the trace of the crawling spider
no happiness in any of them!
and I know all that from dream
to gentle, considerate hands
will cut me off from night
© 2004, Simon Patton
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