Fan Jinghua: Morning Song

　　　Morning Song

When the wheat is pregnant by April wind,
The cloudlets are carp-scales on a topaz beach.
In the awns of morning rays the wheat comes into ears
And every spike is emitting the warmth of last night.
On the riverbank, reed roots rise to knees,
Some reedhead-like duck tails grow on the water,
And a few white geese are flapping wings as if to parade.
Tender leaves on the elm are still edible,
Along your garden, day-lilies are green like young cattails,
But the fennels are holding high their oilpaper umbrellas.
In a morning like this, I follow a cow like walking a pet in the early evening,
For two weeks, I have passed your threshing ground once and again.

With a throw of water, you pop into my sight, a basin in hand,
Like a pip-up by the gate, your apologetic greeting plump like your breasts,
And a smoke of white dust rises in the orange sunlight.
Oh, Lass, I do like a bowl of porridge from your caldron,
And it would be a regale to have an egg for fried elm leaves.
But the clapping of aspens cannot drown the sirens of outbound buses,
And I see distinctly I am standing in another foggy morning
Under this elm, with a wheeled portmanteau like a cow ruminating,
While your farewells are as bright as this morning’s hello.
Where I will be again, there are crowded breasts, bold but cold,
And I am not to look at faces, and no morning air
Will be so statically vibrant and saturated with cool warmth.
The scarlet clouds at nightfall will be appetizing like a sweet-and-sour fried fish,
And a dog meets another dog by the street, sniffing each other’s tail.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　April 18, 2006


　　　晨歌

四月的早晨　天空的沙滩上
碎云如刚刚出水的鲤鱼鳞
麦芒似的阳光下　麦子在孕穗
每一只都在释放着昨夜的暖气
河岸上芦竹及膝　水面栽着几只芦花鸭的屁股
几只白鹅扑棱着翅膀似乎在比赛站立
榆树的嫩叶还可以下粥
菜畦上　黄花菜也还只是一行嫩蒲似的翠绿
而茴香的发髻已在颀长的脖子上含着云雾
这样的早晨　我牵着一头老牛像陪着宠物在初夜散步
两个星期来一次次走过你家的场院

随着一盆洗脸水　你闪出院门
那片橘黄的朝阳中有一团白色的尘烟升起
你歉意的招呼声带着你胸脯一样的饱满
妹子　我真愿意从你的锅里喝一碗早粥
而清炒榆叶加上鸭蛋便已奢靡
只是河对岸沙沙作响的白杨难以阻挡远处的汽笛
我分明看见不远的另一场晨雾中
我又一次走过这棵榆树　拖着长轮子的旅行箱
在你同样灿烂的告别声中自作多情地离去
回到满街招摇而生硬的乳房丛中　不看眼睛不看脸
再没有如此晨曦充满凝止的激动和凉爽的温暖
只有黄昏的云朵像糖醋的松鼠鱼
而陌生的狗在马路边相遇　闻一闻彼此的屁股
　　　　　　　　　　　2006年4月18日晚