A Sailor’s Life

By Zhang Dan

A sailor’s life is open to so many trials and tribulations.
                                        ——The Aeneid

A span of artificial dry season,
just a Chagallistic river bottom appears.
It feels like I return to such a kiddish city.
When riding a bicycle, I accidentally start to fly.
When happy, I glide to river bank and catch those
pebbles intending to run and snails not moving at all.
A machineshop truck painting on the exposed sand,
but it's also a part of the scenery.
The palette of late winter, a pale blue and gold.
Fly over the bridge, the roof, and the tall trees.
The wind grows through your dark hair.
Suddenly, you remind a foggy morning in childhood.
A peasant, was lying in the middle of the road,
with a large pool of cold blood outside.
Where was he going at night with rattan on back?
Who killed him and escaped?
You waited for news but never hear anything else.
Those who long since disappeared in the city,
are found and visited by the memory of others.
It remains silent and vanishing. Forgetting and dying.
You're not sad when I thinking of you today.
You have been responded.

                                     translated by Chen Zihong

水手人生

张丹

A sailor’s life is open to so many trials and tribulations.
                                 ——The Aeneid

一段人造的枯水季，
夏加尔般梦幻的河底显形。
仿佛回到城市的小时候。
骑自行车时，一不小心就开始飞翔。
开心时，滑下河堤，捉住那些
想跑的石头和静态的田螺。
市政工程车在裸露的沙地作画，
又尽在画中。
深冬的油彩，一阵淡蓝和金黄。
翻过这座桥，翻过屋顶，翻过高树。
风从漆黑的头发中间长出。
你忽然想起儿时一个迷雾的早晨，
一个乡下人，扑在马路中间。
巨大而冰冷的血在他身外。
他背着背篼夜行去哪？
是谁杀死了他又逃走了？
你等着消息，却再也没听说过。
那些很久以前消失在城市中的人，
被另一些人的记忆找到，访问。
永远保持着沉默和消失。遗忘和死亡。
今日想起，你并不悲伤。
你得到了回答。