Memories of Nanjing

By Bai Hua

We strolled along our paths of early spring in night
from Imperial Palace to Xiaolingwei...
"Am I prettier than her?
What would my mom think of her and me ...
As of now, I'll tell you something
a story of someone's ear whatevered."

She was angry. On second thought, I didn't
hold her hand all along, at Xinjiekou.
"I told you, to go and see  Lama Temple.
And go to America while young onward. Alas,
his manhood...  uh, the thing is so big...
However, er- I don't like a dog..."

"The summer two years ago, where were you?"
I was sitting on a coach departing from Chengdu
watching the blue yonder all the way flying westward--
near me, Heishui County--
near me, our future--
two years later we were destined to convene.

By now, this moment, have I ever thought
if I didn't believe that ridiculous prophecy
if the lights from the language lab in early spring 1989
are still on, still you must be...
talking to me, walking and laughing with me...
And lasting until dawn...

October 5, 2010/ translated by Chen Zihong

南京之忆

柏桦

我俩在黑夜的初春漫步
从明故宫到孝陵卫……
“我比她漂亮吗？
我的妈妈会怎么看她和我呢……
好了，现在让我给你讲
一个人耳朵的故事吧。”

她生气了。我想想，在新街口
我没有一直拉着她的手。
“我告诉过你，去雍和宫看看。
去美国要趁年轻啊。唉，
他的那个……那个太大了……
而且，而且我不喜欢狗……”

“两年前的夏天，你在哪儿？”
我坐在成都的长途汽车上
一路观看西天飞逝的晴空——
近了，黑水县——
近了，我们的未来——
两年后我们注定要遇见。

如今，此刻，我可曾想过
只要我不信那可笑的预言
只要1989年初春语音室的灯
还亮着，你就一定还在……
与我说着、走着、笑着……
直至天明……

2010年10月5日