Reading Classes

By Bai Hua

While reading about England,
Liu Hsi-hung said, was that not just London to make a joyful walk
Kuo Sung-t'ao said, was that not to pump water in Western Mining
Sir Halliday Macartney said: Sunday today, never whipped the horse.

While reading about China,
The opposite of a skeletal body is portly and greasy
Ah! Liang Ch'i-ch'ao's fine moment. Where is it?
Old man smoking opium, teenager drinking brandy ...

And now,
Games online, a vertical and horizontal alliance; Hangzhou, Alibaba
Swedish Embassy in Shanghai, cloud of wedding flowers-misgiving clouding
Asking who will cook new poetry? Prepares vodka definitely!

She turned off the lights,
I had to read in seclusion--
Crow in Aves reminds me of cobbler from the crowd
Can a good Viet poet be born only in a rice factory?

January 26, 2019/ translated by Chen Zihong

诗人简介：柏桦（1956-）中国当代著名诗人，西南交通大学艺术与传播学院教授。代表作《表达》、《往事》、《水绘仙侣》、《一点墨》

本诗英文译文及所附中文原诗已获作者授权，未经原作者和译者许可，谢绝任何转载及用于任何商业用途。

阅读课

柏桦

读英国，
刘锡鸿说散步舒怀莫非伦敦
郭嵩焘说西洋开矿莫非吸水
马格里曰：今日礼拜，不鞭马。

读中国，
瘦得皮包骨头的反面肥得流油
梁启超的好时光呀，在哪里？
老人鸦片烟，少年白兰地……

现如今，
游戏合纵连横，杭州阿里巴巴
上海瑞典使馆，梨云-疑云
问谁料理新诗？准备绝对伏特加！

她关掉灯，
我就只好在幽隐中阅读——
鸟中乌鸦让我想到人中皮匠
越南好诗人难道只诞生于米厂？

                    2019年1月26日

注释一：“老人鸦片烟，少年白兰地”，参见梁启超《少年中国说》。
注释二，从出生于西贡一家米厂的王海洋（Ocean Vuong,1988-）知，在越南，诗人诞生于米厂。从出生于邮局的张枣（1962-2010）知，在中国，诗人诞生于邮局。补充一句：张枣的母亲在长沙邮局工作。