酷我-北美枫

[非马]

中秋无月


你怎么知道
今夜
在层层乌云之上
月亮仍是传统的圆
而不是方或扁或三角或多角
或竟是变幻莫测的
不成其形的块
你甚至无法确定
它只有一个
而不是满天闪耀
如放大了的星星

当然
它也可能只是
一个人造的卫星
或虚拟世界里
一个根本不存在的
虚拟的
零

但你知道
千里外的一双凝眸
早把虚拟的零充实
混沌中飞舞的棱棱角角
早已团聚涨满
还原成一团
你熟悉的
圆



THE MOONLESS MOON FESTIVAL


how do I know, tonight
above the heavy layers of dark clouds
the moon is a round ball, not a flat pancake
or a block of square or triangle
or some formless mass
and how can I be sure
that there is only one moon
not a cluster
of man-made satellites

and of course in today’s digital world
I can’t rule out the possibility
of the old moon being now
a virtual image

yet I know in my heart
that thousands of miles away
your gaze, penetrating the thick clouds
has filled the virtual image
with a pure brilliance
guiding my eyes
to the true moon

[[FAFAFA]]

中秋无月


你怎么知道
今夜
在层层乌云之上
月亮仍是传统的圆
而不是方或扁或三角或多角
或竟是变幻莫测的
不成其形的块
你甚至无法确定
它只有一个
而不是满天闪耀
如放大了的星星

当然
它也可能只是
一个人造的卫星
或虚拟世界里
一个根本不存在的
虚拟的
零

但你知道
千里外的一双凝眸
早把虚拟的零充实
混沌中飞舞的棱棱角角
早已团聚涨满
还原成一团
你熟悉的
圆



THE MOONLESS MOON FESTIVAL


how do I know, tonight
above the heavy layers of dark clouds
the moon is a round ball, not a flat pancake
or a block of square or triangle
or some formless mass
and how can I be sure
that there is only one moon
not a cluster
of man-made satellites

and of course in today’s digital world
I can’t rule out the possibility
of the old moon being now
a virtual image

yet I know in my heart
that thousands of miles away
your gaze, penetrating the thick clouds
has filled the virtual image
with a pure brilliance
guiding my eyes
to the true moon

[ericcoliu]

There is a shift in narrative point of view in the English version, which sometimes forms a dialogical relationship with its Chinese counterpart.

These are well-written, thoughtful poems that counter the reader’s expectation derived from having read the works of other poets, which tell stories of harmony, nostalgia, happy gatherings under the big, full moon.

Just as we cannot or do not know how to relate to the moon, so we, living in a CMC-saturated society, are destined to be outsiders to the moon even as we celebrate the Moon Festival. Underlying the seemingly derisive tone expressed in the first two stanzas lies a much graver message of doomed alienation for mankind. Only with the searching, penetrating, affectionate gaze at the moon, we can then celebrate the true-moon Moon Festival.

The title and tone expressed in the poems remind me of Luo Qing’s Six Ways of Eating Watermelons.
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul

[[ericcoliu]]

There is a shift in narrative point of view in the English version, which sometimes forms a dialogical relationship with its Chinese counterpart.

These are well-written, thoughtful poems that counter the reader’s expectation derived from having read the works of other poets, which tell stories of harmony, nostalgia, happy gatherings under the big, full moon.

Just as we cannot or do not know how to relate to the moon, so we, living in a CMC-saturated society, are destined to be outsiders to the moon even as we celebrate the Moon Festival. Underlying the seemingly derisive tone expressed in the first two stanzas lies a much graver message of doomed alienation for mankind. Only with the searching, penetrating, affectionate gaze at the moon, we can then celebrate the true-moon Moon Festival.

The title and tone expressed in the poems remind me of Luo Qing’s Six Ways of Eating Watermelons.
_________________
Time is nothing but a disquiet of the soul

[非马]

Thank you Eric! As always, I appreciate your insightful comments.

[[FAFAFA]]

Thank you Eric! As always, I appreciate your insightful comments.