A Language We Speak

By Bai Hua

To School of Foreign Languages, SWJTU

Mountains and seas, in mind we think up,
a language we speak.
Stars and cosmos, in mind we imagine,
a language we speak.
Human life, in mind we conceive,
a language we speak.

A miracle, as well as a caveman facing,
voices to interpret for us-
English, French, a tone of voice
German, Japanese, a rhyme of cadence
and of course be Russian...
The rise and fall of vocals...

Which language will match the chances
and destiny for each of us?
We have dived into a lot of language experiments,
day and night, whenever they go by the book,
We are quite qualified and competent for it,
from the present, to the future.

May 16, 2022
Translated by Chen Zihong

说出语言

柏桦

——为西南交通大学外语学院而作

我们想象高山、大海，
我们说出一种语言。
我们想象宇宙、星辰，
我们说出一种语言。
我们想象人类的生活，
我们说出一种语言。

像原始人面对奇迹，
我们面对翻译和声音——
英语之声、法语之声
德语之声、日语之声
当然还有俄语之声……
各种声音此起彼伏……

每个人的机缘和命运
将对应哪一种语言？
我们已潜心做着语言的
实验，无论晨昏冬夏，
我们胜任，我们掌握，
从现在一直到未来——