A Contour

By Cheng Lie

                             -- for Francesca, an Italian girl

Chirping birds, as if the evening prayers
fly from all sides, hide between weary flights of steps at dusk.
in every resting place, summer things are given to maze of houses,
they're the kind hearts that be spread over the plains
and there must be one of them
before the skylight routs, it will motivate him
-for some secluded spot in the world from oblivion-
to indulge in the past glory days of the Sun and Moon.
But the soft moonlit and rivers
are full of mysterious whispers of the cosmos,
those who return are becoming others, countless others
he has got what he needs.
On busy and tight days,
it used to be so peaceful.

2005/ translated by Chen Zihong

轮廓

程烈

                            -为意大利女郎弗朗西斯卡

啁啾的栖鸟，仿佛晚祷者
自四方降临，遁隐在黄昏倦怠的台阶。
匆忙间道路变得琐碎
盛夏在每一个歇脚处耽溺于迷宫般的房屋，
它们是平原上一地亲切的肺腑
它们中也必定有一间，
会在天光溃败以前把他招引
——为世上某个通幽处免遭遗忘——
醉心于日月赞歌的往昔之中。
然而淡月，然而河流
饱含万物神秘的低语，
归来的人正成为别的人，无数的人
他业已得到所要的生活必需。
在倥偬之境
过去是那么平静。

2005年