Lű Yue: Soul Evocative

　　Soul Evocative
　　　　　by Lű Yue (1972-)　tr. Fan Jinghua

Death has fallen on their heads
And camera is a gunpoint at them
Court hearing drawing to its climax

Two bailiffs, one at each side
Seize him like pulling the strings
Of a puppet. His lips curling a little,
I see a face so clean and beautiful

A close-up
I stare at it greedily
Only to be taken by an unexpected

That face
It smiles, for no reasons
But again like after patient premeditation

The camera appears to be shot
Its head hastily turned away
Focus pushed to search
For a more appropriate facial expression

But it is too late and helpless
I am already entrapped by it
Excited like a victim
　　　　　July 7, 2007

　　勾魂
　　　　　吕约 (1972-)
死到临头了
镜头像枪口对准他们
庭审直播进入高潮

两名刑警一左一右
像玩拉线木偶一样
扯住他，嘴唇动了动
我看见一张干净，漂亮的脸

镜头推近
我贪婪地盯住它
意想不到的事发生了

这张脸
它笑了，无缘无故
又像蓄谋已久

镜头像中了弹一样
慌忙调转
推向下一个
搜索更合适的表情

可是晚了，没用了
我已经深陷其中
像一个受害者一样激动
　　　　　2000.7.7


吕约语录Lű Yue quotations:
　　爱情最大的奇迹，就是消除了调情；诗歌最大的奇迹，就是消除了陈词滥调。
　　The greatest miracle of love is that it is cleared of flirtation,; the greatest miracle is that it is cleared of cliche.
　　我尊重这样的诗人：对时代完全不抱幻想，但又毫无保留地效忠于这个时代。因为时代不是别的，乃是古老的语言在时间之中必经的命运。认同于这个时代，并非扯着历史的衣角走到哪儿算哪儿，而是以一种大胆的、自由的精神参与这个命运，承担这个命运。
　　I respect such a poet: the one who has no illusion about the present age but still remains loyal to it. For the present age is nothing but the destiny which the long-established language has to come to terms with. To identify with the age is not to cling to the rim of history and be taken wherever it takes us to; Rather, it is to be engaged with that destiny and to shoulder it, with a bold and free spirit.