ZHENG Danyi: Poetry

　　　　Poetry
　　　　　　　By ZHENG Danyi tr. FAN Jinghua

The schedule well-arranged, paper laid plain, blood howls calm and low
A sound stoops down
An all-embracing shadow to proclaim: Time
Has come for writing
As the valley blends with all the resonances of tomorrow’s songs

I peel off the gauze bandages
I peel off the skin of pain for your eyes—
Look, this is
Poetry—this bird turning red
Has grown full-fledged and strong-muscled, its bones well covered
Vocal cord silvery and flimsy as cicada wings
All in all…and take a second look
At the gestation in the sky

And deep scratches her powerful claws left on the paper…
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　May 1995

About the Poet:
ZHENG Danyi (b. 1963) graduates from Southwest China Normal University in Chongqing in 1983 where he led a poetry society. He published poems when in university and self-published some chapbooks. His major collection of poetry Wings of Summer was published bilingual (translated into English by Mr. Luo Hui) in 2003 after he settled in Hong Kong. This poem was written in the wake of 1989 Tiananmen Square incident.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Zheng and Me in Singapore in 2004


　　　　诗
　　　　　　　郑单衣

排好日程，铺平纸张，血液沉稳、低吼
一个声音俯下
铺天盖地的身影说：可以
可以写作了
当山谷混合着明日歌声的全部音响


我撕开纱布绷带
我撕痛苦的皮给你看——
瞧，这就是
诗——正在变红的这只鸟
羽翼丰满，肌肉结实，包扎着骨骼
声带白银薄如蝉翼
整个地……再瞧
那天上的发育

以及，有力的她留在纸上的深深爪痕……
　　　　　　　　　　　　1995.5