O Tree Planter Be Careful - Yu Jian / 于 坚

Yu Jian / 于 坚







O Tree Planter Be Careful

look the woodland elaeocarpus at our door has grown into a temple

but unexpectedly years back when the seedling was hauled home just planted

without being expected to serve like those expensive schools

isn’t planting a tree before one’s home something natural

dig a pit water dress the soil then let rain or lightning

take over whatever it grows into let it be God knows I’ve just

planted it and a cosmos grows towering regal gigantic

dense fertile deep and serene a pillar set up a spire soars a new

shore birds come to pay their respects as if gods were hidden I hardly know these

merely use a hoe a bucket bear in mind the rules of forefathers

before breaking ground open the Tung Shing calculate an auspicious date never to realize

things could be so profound a small game by accident so well-tended

a tree on the outside a force inside such concept such innovation

such technique such labor who is hard at task behind my back

O this is a monastery twinkling with windbells a stone’s throw away

from my humble cottage I can walk under the leaves find

shelter accept grace transcend the worldly enter the sacred a hermit in twilight years

once letting it run its own course now like a master jealous of its underlings

flourish beyond itself I wouldn’t dare to chop it off the great

offside reveals my true colors making me in awe deeply grateful

no longer dare to be presumptuous O tree planter be careful

(Translated by Fiona Sze-Lorrain)







种树者呵 你得小心

看哪　家门口那棵杜英树长成了一座庙宇

可没想到　多年前拖着小苗来　只是种下　

并不想要它成材　像那些收费昂贵的学校

在自家门口种棵树　不是很自然的事吗

挖坑　浇水　培土　然后让雨或闪电

去接管吧　长成什么是什么　天知道　我仅

种下　就长出了一个宇宙　伟岸　庄严　高迈　

密实　肥沃　幽深　梁柱搭起　尖塔高耸　新的

岸　鸟儿来朝　神明若隐　我并不具备这些知识

仅利用过一把锄头　一只水桶　牢记先人规矩

动土前　翻开黄历　算出好日子　从未料到事情如此

堂奥　不经意的小游戏　被如此地精耕细作　

如此地大用外腓　真体内充　这等构思　这等匠心

这等手艺　这等做工　是哪个　一直背着我作业　

哦　这可是一座风铃闪闪的大庙　居然与我的陋室

只有一步之遥　我可以走到树叶下面　获得

荫庇　接受恩赐　超凡入圣　也将隐逸　在暮年

从前任它自生自灭　现在要像主人那样　因下属

茂盛于自己而嫉妒　砍掉它　我可不敢　伟大的

越位　令我原形毕露　令我敬畏　感恩戴德

再不敢自以为是　种树者呵　你得小心

***





Yu Jian was born in 1954 in Kunming. He is Chinese poet, academic and documentary film director. He has published more than 30 books of poetry, essays and poetry reviews. One of his documentary film works "Green station" (Bise Chezhan) was nominated for the 2004 International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA). Yu Jian has been the recipient of many awards in China and abroad, including Taiwan's "United Daily News" New Poetry Award, Lu Xun Literature Prize, Zhu Ziqing Literature Prize etc. His German translation of poems collection "0 files" was awarded the first place of Africa, Asia and Latin America outstanding literary works which was sponsored by the German Association for the Promotion of Literature from Africa, Asia and Latin America "Litprom" (Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Literatur aus Afrika, Asien und Lateinamerika ev). Now he is a professor at Yunnan Normal University.


于 坚. 1954 年出生于中国昆明。中国当代著名诗人，作品包括诗集、散文集、诗论等三十余种，同时执导纪录片，其中《碧色车站》入围2004 年阿姆斯特丹国际纪录片电影节银狼奖单元。诗人多次获得国内外各类奖项，如台湾《联合报》新诗奖、鲁迅文学奖、朱自清散文奖等。其德译本诗选集《０档案》获德国亚非拉文学作品推广协会主办的“感受世界”亚非拉优秀文学作品评选第一名；诗集《便条集》入围2011 年度美国BTBA 最佳图书翻译奖；诗集《被暗示的玫瑰》入围法国2015 年发现者诗歌奖。现为云南师范大学文学院教授。