Black Tea

By Cheng Lie

Via the vibrant orangey dream of arabesque
I vanished from the painstakingness of some city
Just like the undefended hometown
kept a morally good distance from a cup of tea.
The afternoon imprinted in my memory
got some people back to a little refreshment
the staggered splash of eyebrows
looked like morn beginning
locked a visage just right
a man knows every bites of tea.
Tea fragrance filled, sipping now and then
scalding tea as well as ironing life
fingers holding a cup was more like bait
that the cup inlaid with
a rhythmic silence from the fingertips
trying to erase that afternoon.
So I got such a character:
a glowing complexion with smile
kids rolling into blue skirts once in a while
couples cling to each other, and sweet waves;
She hurried on her way in high heels
just trod slowly to the  jungle
the Smart Speaker that shaked off at dusk,
when I turned around again,
the city had withered away.

2018/translated by Chen Zihong

红茶

藉着卷草的清橙之梦①
遁入一座城市的细致处
仿佛开敞的故乡
与那一抹茶水保持着得体距离。
过目不忘的午后
让一些人回到茶点上
在双眉交错挥洒中
神色如晨初
恰如其分地锁住一张面孔
那个懂得品每一口茶的人。
茶香袭人，不时来上一口
灼热的茶水如熨烫人生
握杯的手指更似诱饵
镶嵌在杯盏上，
指尖透出的休止符
正试图抹掉那个下午。
因而得到了这样的字符：
微笑中抬首的高光
不时滚入蓝色裙裾的孩子
情侣们依傍着，汇成甜蜜的波浪；
那双匆忙赶路的高跟鞋
只是踱进丛林前
黄昏抖落的发音盒，
再转身时
城市已凋零。

2018年

①卷草：古代传入中国的一种纹路。

选译自程烈中文自选诗选《信使》