FAN Jinghua: Autumn Sentiments

　　　Autumn Sentiments
The shoreline should have receded to the springtime by now.
Anyway, the children’s frolics are still April-like
And still thick are willow leaves on the riverbank
While their patterned shade becomes dry and faint.
Wild geese cry without any jittering, neither high nor low.
Fishermen take time to haul back their nets, as if to pose for the setting sun.

I stand before the window, like a morbid ancient poet, watching
The low clouds and lower boats on a long mirror,
Thinking of ancient laments over the unstoppable flow
Of time and drifters after fame and gain.
And night falls, and dark silhouettes of different height move westward.
So lonely.

I meant to tell you
That this would be the spare but engaged life I had imagined,
But it sounded so phony.
With air-conditioning and greenhouse effect,
Autumnal tristesse is long outdated, and what I can write is—
It is an extravagance to warm ourselves before a hearth
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　August 7, 2008


　　　　秋情
这个季节的河岸该又露出春天的旧水痕了吧
孩子的嬉闹声仍然是四月的
柳树叶还很浓郁，而投下的影子却干燥了许多
不缓不急的雁叫声不高不低
水上人收网的动作沉甸甸的，似乎要为夕阳摆出雕塑的姿势

我像古诗人一样站在窗前，遥望低低的云和窄镜面上的渔船
想到了逝者如斯和往来的都只是名利二字
于是，夜幕就降临了
担担子和背篓子的剪影沿着河岸西去

突然很寂寞

本想告诉你，这是我想象得到的清贫与充实
却觉得这听来多么虚假
在空调和温室效应的今天，悲秋早已过时
我能写的只能是，围着火炉似乎遥远得奢侈
　　　　　　　　　　　2008年8月8日

Notes:
The images in the first three lines are borrowed from part of late Tang poet杜牧DU Mu’s poem 《秋岸》“Autumn Rivershore,” which reads:
河岸微退落，柳影微凋疏。船上听呼稚，堤南趁漉鱼。
The river-shoreline has perceptibly receded,And the shade of willow leaves is becoming cancellous.Children are heard calling from the boats
Beyond the dam, where fishermen are casting nets.