Black Mountain - Miao Kegou / 缪克构

Miao Kegou / 缪克构






Black Mountain

The sky keeps expanding
While the road we came by is narrowing little by little
Looking ahead, I don't know when it will be stained with black melancholy
Sand dunes rise
The wind blows the billows of the sea
Agates and color stones
Are spread out in the rough wilderness
Excessive amount of fragments
String together the bracelet of dedication
Through the sand and dust raised by the four-wheel drive
People seem to see the hero’s horse hooves
The neighing has gone far away, leaving an empty echo
There is no one in the vast expanse of wilderness
The vehicle tracks on the sand
Leave another vast question behind

(Translated by Li Dan)




黑 山

天空不断开阔
来时的路上却在一点点收窄
前方，不知何时染上黑色的忧郁
沙丘隆起
风吹来海的波澜
玛瑙和有色石
铺陈在粗粝的荒野过多的碎片
串起献辞的手链四驱扬起的沙尘
仿佛让人看到了英雄的马蹄
嘶鸣之声远去，留下空空回响
四野无人沙上的车痕
留下另一个苍茫的问



*



The Last Subway Train

The subway trains rumble through the city,
Carrying meetings, greetings and goodbyes.

This is the day’s last train
The station platform is nearly deserted
As the carriages rattle in,
Bleary headlights scanning the night.

After seeing her off
I am unable to hum or whistle as others might;
Only by whispering her name
Do I feel a warmth permeate my body.

Sitting alone in the half-empty carriage
Staring past a crowd of unfamiliar faces
I think back to the time we arrived,
While the roaring train
Carries me farther from the past.

The subway plays tricks,
Shortening the distance between us;
It soothes my panicking heart
Only to ruthlessly pull me away
Leaving me feeling like a stranger
In my own city.

When day breaks
The god of sleep comes knocking on my door.
The last train keeps juddering along
Zigzagging before my eyes.
I stand on a deserted platform
Watching her silhouette disappear,
Then reappear in the interstices of
the rocking carriages——
How much longer, how long now?

(Translated by Li Dan)




最后一班地铁

地铁在这座城市运行
带来了相见别离和漫长的思念

这是最后一班地铁
站台凄清乘客寥寥
地铁疾驶而来
在夜色中睁大了孤独而迷蒙的灯

送走了她后
我未能像别人一样唱着一首歌
我默念着她的名字
感到了身子越来越暖和

在空寂的车厢里独坐着
我凝视着、无视着陌生的脸庞
追忆我们来时的模样
我感觉到地铁呼啸着
正飞快地将我从她的身边带离

地铁正是这样的捉弄人
它缩短了我和她之间的距离
像抚慰一个漂泊的孩子
它又毫不留情地带走了我
让我在同一座城市中
像处身于异国他乡

当熹微的黎明再次来临
我听到睡神敲响我的门扉
我感到最后一班地铁呼啸着呼啸着
飞速在我面前开过去开回来
我站在空无一人的站台
看着她不断被隔断的
又不断重新显现的身影
不知已有多久不知还有多久




***




Miao Kegou, a poet and writer, began writing novels in China in 1974. His major poetry collections to date include *The Solitary Flower* (2003), *The Alchemy of Time* (2015), *The Salt Family* (2018), and *Only Slow Ships Reach the Port* (2026). Other works include poetry selections, novels, and essays such as "The Fisherman's Drum," "Adrift in a Bottle," "The Son of the Sea," and "The Cry of the Yellow Corvina." Some of his poems and stories have been translated into several languages ​​and published abroad.
He is currently a member of the China Writers Association. Her major works have won numerous awards, including the inaugural China Ocean Poetry Achievement Award, the first and second prizes of the China News Award, the China Newspaper Supplement Gold Award, the Shanghai Literature Award, and the Shanghai Yangtze River Pottery Award.


缪克构，诗人兼作家，1974年出生，1990年在中国开始创作诗歌和小说。迄今为止，他的主要诗集包括《独自开放》（2003）、《时间炼金术》（2015）、《盐的家族》（2018）和《只有慢船可以抵达》（2026）。其他作品包括小说和散文，如《渔鼓》《漂流瓶》《少年海》和《黄鱼的叫喊》。他的一些诗歌和小说已被翻译成多种语言，并传播到海外。他目前是中国作家协会会员。主要作品曾荣获多种奖项，包括首届中国海洋诗歌成就奖、中国新闻奖、中国报纸副刊作品金奖、上海文学奖和上海长江韬奋奖。