The Jellyfish Gate

By Zhang Dan

Right after deep blue velvet uncovered,
you can then access the Jellyfish Gate.
A dirty, dark chamber undersea.
Jellyfish swim around corners as well as the center.
With the lights discolored, they're like some
heart homeless.
My life remembered:
shrinking at a stretch, against death
sobbing silently, and seemingly,
it being healed.
Red Moon, Peach Flower, and Pearl.
Roaming, Rosy Clouds, and White Sail.
For generations, the distinguished and rest to take,
fish out a childhood hydra-like.
Unbearable, due to barbs sticking too deep.
Medusa, a child of Poseidon,
transformed herself into a jellyfish in River Styx,
but forgot to grow eyes.
The moment being seen, life becomes a boulder,
I can stay out of it for a little while.

                          translated by Chen Zihong

水母之门

张丹

掀开深蓝的天鹅绒布，
方进入水母之门。
脏暗的海底屋室。
水母布在四角，中间。
变色灯光下，像一些
无家可归的心脏。
记起了我的生命：
迎着死灭，不断抽缩，
像一次无声的啜泣，
渐渐平息。
赤月，桃花，珍珠。
游，霞，帆。
世代的风流与休息，
钩出一片螅状的童年，
倒刺之深刻，在乎难忍。
波塞冬的孩子美杜莎，
化为冥河水母，
忘了长出眼睛。让生活为大石的一视，
我可以，逃脱一小会儿。