1967年 / 1967

Chinese

他们说: / “这把二胡的弦要扯断, / 琴身要砸碎。” / 我们就没有了琴声。
他们说: / “这棵大树要锯断, / 主要是古树,全部要锯掉。” / 我们就没有了阴凉。
他们说: / “这个石匠要除掉, / 那个木匠也要除掉,要立即执行。” / 我们就没有了好看的石桥, / 我们就没有了好看的房子。
他们说: / “这些圣贤的书要烧掉, / 这些文庙要毁掉, / 这些出家人要赶回家。” / 我们就没有了道德, / 我们就没有了良知。
我生于崩溃的1967年, / 我注定了要以毁灭的眼光来看待一切, / 我生下来不久就生病了, / 我注定了要以生病的眼光来看待一切。
看着你们都在死去, / 我注定了不能死去, / 我注定了要在废墟上开口说话, / 我注定了要推开尘封的铁门。

English

They say:
“Snap the cords of the erhu,
smash its body.”
We no longer have melody.

They say:
“Saw this big tree
especially the old trees, saw all of them.”
We no longer have shade.

They say:
“Get rid of this stonemason,
that carpenter too, right now.”
We no longer have pretty stone bridges.
We no longer have pretty houses.

They say:
”Burn these sutras,
tear down these temples,
drive away these monks and nuns.”
We no longer have morals.
We no longer have conscience.

I was born in crumbling 1967.
I was destined to see everything through destructive eyes.
I was sick soon after birth
and destined to see everything through sick eyes.

I see all of you are dying
and I’m destined not to die.
I’m destined to open up my mouth and speak from ruins,
destined to push this dust-sealed iron door open.

erhu: a two-stringed bowed Chinese instrument

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