Gedicht
Zhai Yongming
Mother
there are too many places one is powerless to reach, the feet ache, mother, you nevertaught me how to catch that ancient sadness in the greedy pink of dawn. my heart is like you only
you are my mother, I am even your blood bleeding out at daybreak
a pool of blood forces you, astonished, to see yourself, you wake me up
to hear the sound of this world, you allow me to be born, you let me form twins
with misfortune, terrible twins of this world. for many years, I have had no recollection of tonight’s weeping
the light that made you pregnant came from so far away, so suspicious, standing between life
and death, your eyes possess darkness and how heavy the shadows that penetrate our soles
in your arms, I once laughed as if revealing the answer to a riddle, who is it knows
that you allow me to realize everything virginally, but I remained unmoved
I regard this world as a virgin, but could it be true that my heart-felt laughing at you
did not ignite sufficient summers? didn’t it?
I was abandoned in this world, all alone, the rays of the sun enveloped me
did you lose something when, mournfully, you bent down over the world?
time puts me in its mill, and lets me watch myself being pulverized
ah, mother, will you be happy when I finally fall silent?
no one knows how I love you so wide of the mark, this secret
comes from part of you, my eyes gaze at you painfully like two wounds
living for the sake of living, I court destruction to oppose an immemorial love
a stone is forsaken, until it dries like marrow in the wind, this world
has its orphans, exposing all blessings mercilessly, but who understands best?
all those who have stood on their mother’s hands will finally die from birth
© Translation: 2004, Simon Patton
MOTHER
© 2004, Zhai Yongming
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MOTHER
Mother
there are too many places one is powerless to reach, the feet ache, mother, you nevertaught me how to catch that ancient sadness in the greedy pink of dawn. my heart is like you only
you are my mother, I am even your blood bleeding out at daybreak
a pool of blood forces you, astonished, to see yourself, you wake me up
to hear the sound of this world, you allow me to be born, you let me form twins
with misfortune, terrible twins of this world. for many years, I have had no recollection of tonight’s weeping
the light that made you pregnant came from so far away, so suspicious, standing between life
and death, your eyes possess darkness and how heavy the shadows that penetrate our soles
in your arms, I once laughed as if revealing the answer to a riddle, who is it knows
that you allow me to realize everything virginally, but I remained unmoved
I regard this world as a virgin, but could it be true that my heart-felt laughing at you
did not ignite sufficient summers? didn’t it?
I was abandoned in this world, all alone, the rays of the sun enveloped me
did you lose something when, mournfully, you bent down over the world?
time puts me in its mill, and lets me watch myself being pulverized
ah, mother, will you be happy when I finally fall silent?
no one knows how I love you so wide of the mark, this secret
comes from part of you, my eyes gaze at you painfully like two wounds
living for the sake of living, I court destruction to oppose an immemorial love
a stone is forsaken, until it dries like marrow in the wind, this world
has its orphans, exposing all blessings mercilessly, but who understands best?
all those who have stood on their mother’s hands will finally die from birth
© 2004, Simon Patton
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