Qiao: I Need A Hammer

Qiao: I Need A Hammer
桥：《我需要一把铁锤》

　　I Need A Hammer
　　　　　　　　　　　　by Qiao　　tr. Fan Jinghua
It’s seven a.m. in Hangchou
And I’ve moved the bed to another direction
The quilt to my left covers nobody
Where has the mosquito gone
Last night it sucked enough blood and its life must be a happy one
I am hungry and I sit on the bed
A blank face at a blank wall
There are bones struggling behind the whitish plaster
All night a voice chants to my ears
“You need a hammer”

Oh, I need a hammer
To strike a nail into the cement wall
So I can hang my towel, my white nightgown,
My pompous hats and a straw handbag
I need a hammer to strike into the wall
A painting and three butterflies I’ve embroidered for three years
One blue, one red and the other without eyes
Then I’ll strike into it a pale face
The face of the one who once held me in his arms
And he is now eaglespread like a cross

I am still single
So I nail my right hand into the wall



　　我需要一把铁锤
　　　　　　　　　　　　作者：桥
杭州的早晨，我把床移了一个方向
七点钟，左边的被子是空的
昨天晚上蚊子躺在那里
它吸够了血，它的人生十分美满
我非常饥饿
坐起来，看到一面空的墙
雪白的墙灰后面，有骨头在里面挣扎
有个声音不停地在墙里说话
一个晚上，它重复告诉我：
“你，需要一把铁锤”

我需要一把铁锤
把一颗水泥钉钉进墙里
毛巾、白色睡衣、虚伪的帽子、麦秸杆手袋挂在墙上
一幅画钉进去
三只蝴蝶钉进去
我绣了三年的蝴蝶
一只兰，一只红，另一只没有眼睛
接着我钉进去一张惨白的脸
那个曾经抱过我的人
在墙上，张开十字的手臂
我未婚
把右手钉了上去