A Family, Deep at Night

By Zhang Dan

Deep at night, lots of things
alternated with sounds and narratives.
Let's say, my son's snore vibrato very alike,
counterpoints him, a snorer forceful as well as a pipe organ.
Being overfed, my mother snores with the muffled sound.
In a while, I heard her arising,
closing her door.
It sounded quietly.
Then telephoning with screeching
behind the door.
After a while, I heard my father opening the door，
slipping in, flushing the toilet, and going upstairs.
The chandelier in living room wobbled and rattled wildly,
as dad set foot on attic floor,
after that, it went quiet.
The family is still intact.
With families just as whole, as broken,
the world is stuffed.

​                     translated by Chen Zihong

深夜家庭

张丹

深夜，很多事物，
此起彼伏，发声，叙事。
譬如，儿子揉弦般的鼾声，
对位着他壮如管风琴鸣的鼾声。
母亲打鼾，带着饱食者的闷响。
一会儿，我听见妈妈起身，
关上了她的房门。
悄悄的声音。
从门后传来打电话
怒吼的声音。
过了一会，我听见爸爸开门。
进家，默然冲水，上楼。
爸爸的脚踩上阁楼地板，
客厅的吊灯就哗哗狂响，
然后，不再响了。
这是一个完整的家。
和那些同样完整的家同样破碎的家，
填满整个世界。