水的颜色 The Color of Water

水的颜色念小丫

流经凤城的黄河水,这么多年了

没有透彻过没有清白过

始终一副沉郁的泥浆色

牛羊没有在河面上看清过自己

穆旦拉着一头牛四只羊到河滩边清洗

当哞哞声咩咩声

飘在水面上时

风紧了紧,水皱了皱

实际上穆旦知道这一洗

牛羊不可能再折返于此

他心里并不是滋味

这番泥土般的波浪也好

眼不见心也不慌,如此这般

选自《诗刊》

The Color of Water

by Nian Xiaoya

The water of Yellow River at Fengcheng*

was never clear or clean over all the years,

but permanently dismally muddy.

Cattle and sheep cannot see their reflections.

Mudan leads a cow and four sheep here to wash,

their mooing and bleating

waft on the river

just as the wind picks up and the water ripples.

Mudan knows after this wash,

the animals won’t ever return here again.

There is disquiet in his heart—

just as well that the waves are murky—

not to see is not to dread, all for the best.

Translator’s note:

*Fengcheng: a river town in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Translated by Duck Yard Lyricists

Duck Yard Lyricists is a group of devoted poetry lovers: Meifu Wang, Peter Micic, Michael Soper & Johan Ramaekers.

念小丫,曾用笔名念奴娇(小丫),现居宁夏银川市,用心写自己想写的,有作品发表《诗刊》、《星星》、《诗潮》、《湖南诗人》、《美国洛杉矶诗刊》等。

本诗由 PATHSHARERS BOOKS

(美国同道出版社)

Duck Yard Lyricists 翻译

汉诗英译”同步更新于美国

21st Century Chinese Poetry” 网站