Salt in Water

by Zhang Dan

During spring months,  schools closed.
Parents returning to work, the children helpless
got outdoors to join secular life.
Occupying a grand vacancy, even the whole of neighborhood,
Occupying void of the world of senses. If they want,
come to blows, or overthrow the spring without determination inside.
There was no denying that this is  "a campaign".
As a suffix, a tearful tone was attached to each laughter.
A child six-year-old,  accidentally bumped off his loose
incisors. He slowly parked his scooter by roadside,
carefully removing his mask. Two damaged teeth on
white mask gradually lost the shine given by time.
Straight away, children surrounded him cheering ,
like observing a festival. Vacancies for tooth,
a strange feeling over him: he was going to grow up.
Several kids just returned from Hubei, lying on window sill,
admired at the peace and wrangle in this world.
Their elders, like them, wear bored by the window.
Golden sunlight sweeping over this epic in miniature, line by line.
This afternoon, right here.
No one has died, or has missed an epoch.
Also there, what you want to know about "grief mixed with joy".

                                        translated by Chen Zihong

水中的盐

张丹

这一年春天，学校的门关着。
大人都复工去了，孩子们无处可去，
纷纷跑出家门，来到世上。
占领了一片楼间空地。占领了这个小区，
占领了，色空的世界。只要他们想，
他们可以对打，也可以一起推翻非意志的春色。
永远不会有人否认，这是一场“战役”。
每一阵哄笑之后，都带出几声哭泣的尾音。
一个六岁的孩子，不慎碰掉了正在晃动的
门牙。他缓缓将滑板车停到路边，
小心地摘下口罩，两颗旧齿躺在
白口罩上，正在渐渐失去时间的光泽。
顷刻间，孩子们围着他欢呼、庆贺，
仿佛度过节日。牙齿的位置空空的，
一种奇异的感觉袭来：他就要长大了。
几个前几天从湖北回来的孩子，趴在窗上，
羡慕地看着这个世界的自由和纷争。
家人跟他们一样，也无聊地趴在窗上。
金黄的阳光，正逐句照过这篇缩印的史诗。
这个下午。这里。
没有人死亡，也没有谁错过了时代。
你想知道的“悲欣交集”，亦在其中矣。