Fan Jinghua: Night Song

　　　　Night Song
Small hours. No heavenly hymning, no earthly chanting.
Humans are floating in self-made sounds,
If they are not dreaming.
This is time to bring the far into one’s sight and mind.
It is autumn, deep there, and if one stands long enough
Down there in the hollow stillness between apartment houses
Even without the moonlight upon the cassia tree, one knows
Time gyres but never goes.
How lotus seeds mature, each with a bitter wick in the heart;
Months further earlier, silkworms withdrew into silk cocoons.
It is human to foretell their new lives,
Behind their ignorant resignation.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dec. 10, 2007

　　　　夜歌
　　　　　　　　致Gloria
夜半之后。不闻天籁，大地静谧。
没有入梦的人
漂在自造的声音中。
这是将远方唤进灵魂的时刻。
远方的深处，秋也很深了，如果此刻
有人久久伫立在住宅楼围起的空寂中，
即使没有月光洒在桂树上，他会明白
时间只是旋转，从未走远。
莲子的成熟镶进一根苦涩的灯芯；
再几个月前，春尽，蚕退缩进丝茧。
只是人的心思才乐于背着它们无知的隐忍
扬言知晓它们的来生。
　　　　　　　　　2007年12月10-11日