Spring Song - Guan Guan / 管 管

Guan Guan / 管 管






Spring Song


Spinning the whole night, still undone, spinning mist on an apricot tree,

This sister (why, nothing at odds with her) is spinning weeping,

Three or four snakes wiggle, shaking off all the dirt,

Wiggling-up to a phoenix fern beneath the wall and

Open—wide mouths (O heck!) to sun themselves under the breathless sun.

Are the two kites flying two children or the two children flying two kites?

Another one, neckstretched, is watching kites (O his mother’s…!) flying a skyful;

And a dog on the wheat field is biting a kite.

All the birds stretch their throats, stretch until (O his mother’s…!) they become a long trumpet

and blow to front streets & to back streets

and blow to right streets & to left streets

And finally blown up to the ash tree, from which is hanging a swing.

Southeast corner, rows of peartrees; their buds,

Since last night, begin to have their (O delicious!) explosion.

Explosions are explosions; pear flowers are pear flowers

but they are certainly not strings

Of thuddings—of guns

Nor are they (O his mother’s…!) the skyful

Of strings—of kites.

A wooden flute distantly whines around a stretch of willow forests by the South River.

In each floral sedan-chair is always a bride.

Old buddy, you have to admit

Spring is but an affair at a throw

And bombs—boom! Also an affair at a throw.

Amen. Namo amitabha-buddhaya.


(Translated by Wai-Lim Yip)







春 歌

这纺了一夜也没纺完那棵那棵杏树上的雾

这姊姊姊姊就好端端好端端地纺着了那个哭

三条四脚蛇摇摇摆摆抖一抖满身的泥土

就摇。摇到墙根下那棵那棵凤尾草上

就张。张着口在硬晒那个那个喘着气的太阳

也不知是两个风筝放着两个孩子也不知是两个孩子放着 那两个风筝

而另一个在仰着脖子看着看着呀那风筝就他妈妈的放了满满地一天空

这还有一匹狗子在咬着满麦地满麦地那个风筝

这所有的麻雀都拉长拉长喉咙而终于拉成了他妈的一根大喇叭

吹到街前这又吹到街后

吹到街左这又吹到街右

这最后。就吹上了那棵那棵搭着秋千架子的洋槐树头

这东南脚上那群那群梨树行子的梨花

打从昨晚就开始了那种那种挺过瘾的爆炸

这爆炸是爆炸。这梨花是梨花。

但总不是远处那一群群的炮声

也他妈的总不是天上那一群群的风筝

这一群唢呐远远地绕着南河里那一遍那一遍柳树林子

这每一座花轿必定坐着一个新娘子

老兄。你不能不说

这春天是一码子事

而这炸。弹。又是一码子事儿

***






Guan Guan was born in Shandong, 1929. He was awarded with Modern Poem Prize by Hong Kong Modern Literature and Art Association. His published poetry anthologies include Badlands Face, Guan Guan Poetry Anthology, Guan Guan Poetry Anthology for the Century. Guan Guan is a representative poet for the Genesis Poetic Group in Taiwan. He is a productive and multi-talented poet, besides poems and proses, and he was also an actor for a few movies. Guan Guan’s poems are inclined to be prose-style and featured with skipping language and exaggerating and absurd permutations, which creates extraordinaire and hilarious holistic conception. Guan Guan is currently residing in Taiwan.

管 管. 1929年生于山东。曾获香港现代文学美术协会现代诗奖，出版有诗集《荒芜之脸》、《管管诗选》、《管管世纪诗选》等。管管是我国台湾“创世纪”诗群的代表诗人。他的作品甚丰，除了诗歌散文之外， 还曾演出过多部电影，可谓多才多艺。管管的诗具有散文化的倾向，但语言充满跳跃性，常以夸张荒诞的排列组合营造出一种笑傲滑稽的整体氛围。管管现居台湾地区。