Notes of a Desolate Libra

As the Mist Rises

As the Mist rises
I rest in your arms.
In this forest
a sweet, comforting
fragrance pervades,
filled with the times of youth
that are on insistent replay.

After the Mist dissipated
a lifetime
has past.
Amidst the desolate mountains
and muted lakes in
this crowd of tens of thousands
there remains that single

Silhouette
that I would never forget.
---
T/N: Another year, another Chinese V-day. Happy Chinese V-day everyone! This poem actually fits the original story of Chinese V-day too, except the mist would be the birdies. ☺

霧起時

霧起時 我就在你的懷裡
這林間 充滿了濕潤的芳香
充滿了那不斷要重現的少年時光

霧散後 卻已是一生
山空湖靜 只剩下那 在千人萬人中
也絕不會錯認的背影

Actor

Please,
do not be fooled by my Beauty
oh, and please,
do not be fooled by my Love
beneath this oil-painted facade
my heart is that of an
Actor.

So please,
remember not to
take my sorrow as true
and please,
do not break your heart
over my performance.

My dear friend
in this world, this life
I am only an Actor
who partakes in the story
of others

crying my own
Tears.
---
T/N: This is very close to how I felt for many years of my life…

戲子

請不要相信我的美麗
也不要相信我的愛情
在塗滿了油彩的面容之下
我有的是顆戲子的心
所以　請千萬不要
不要把我的悲哀當真
也別隨著我的表演心碎
親愛的朋友　今生今世
我只是個戲子
永遠在別人的故事裡
流著自己的淚

Zen (2)

When everything is done and gone
I know
I will slowly
forget you
and let the weight on my heart
fall.

Please, would you, please
forgive me.

Life is meant for
endless wounds and healing
But the world remains
a garden that patiently awaits
my arrival.

The brilliant blue of the sky
The soothing green of the trees
Life could be
so beautiful, in peace.

禪意（二）
當一切都已過去
我知道
我會慢慢地將你忘記
心上的重擔卸落
請你　請你原諒我
生命原是要
不斷地受傷和不斷地復原
世界仍然是一個
在溫柔地等待著我成熟的果園
天這樣藍　樹這樣綠
生活原來可以
這樣的安寧和　美麗

Initial Meeting

A beautiful dream
like an elegant poem -
can only be found, not sought
always in your most unsuspecting moment.

I treasure dreams of such
Dreams in which
everything can have a new beginning
everything may be slowly explained
And despite it all
I still remember the wasted time
I could still return to the
passion and gratitude
of my past.

Happiness fills my heart
because you stand in front of me
Smiling, as you had before,
in years past.
Oh, I truly love such dreams.

And even though I know of your
long journey to see me,
the sight scent of fresh grass,
the color of spring blossoms,
feel as if we have
just met.

初相遇

美麗的夢和美麗的詩一樣
都是可遇而不可求的
常常在最沒能料到的時刻裡出現
我喜歡那樣的夢 在夢裡
一切都可以重新開始
一切都可以慢慢解釋
心裡甚至還能感覺到所有被浪費的時光
竟然都能重回時的狂喜和感激
胸懷中滿溢著幸福 只因為你就在我眼前
對我微笑 一如當年 我真喜歡那樣的夢
明明知道你已為我跋涉千里
卻又覺得芳草鮮美 落英繽紛
好像你我才初初相遇

After the Rain

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Flowing"]

Life – can also be a poem

If you allow me to progress slowly
quietly hoping, searching
dreaming in the dimming twilight
crossing unknown swamps
into darkened clouds
until I finally cry my tears
for all the
chances lost or paths crossed.

Life, at its closure, will always
condense into a poem.
After the cleansing rain
my heart shall be brighter.

If you would wait
in the end
all the fleeting colors of the sky
shall all drain into
the river of your heart.

雨後 (席慕容)

生命　其實也可以是一首詩
如果你能讓我慢慢前行
靜靜盼望　搜尋
懷帶著逐漸加深的暮色
經過不可知的泥淖
在暗黑的雲層裡
終於流下了淚
為所有
錯過或者並沒有錯過的相遇
生命　其實到最後總能成詩
在滂沱的雨後
我的心靈將更為潔淨
如果你肯等待
所有飄浮不定的雲彩
到了最後　終於都會洭成河流

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Singing you a love song."]

Fortune

In a fragranced season
for the fall of blossoms
for the taste of loneliness
for your returning glance…

Alas the song I sing in tears
is but words without melody.

Yet suddenly…
with the lifting of the curtains
with the glare of the lights
with the applause of the audience

I found that my song…
was actually
the Theme of this
Play.

際遇

在馥郁的季節
因花落
因寂寞
因你的回眸
而使我含淚唱出的
不過是一首無調的歌
卻在突然之間
因幕起
因燈亮
因眾人的鼓掌
才發現我的歌
竟然
是這一劇中的輝煌

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Stillness."]

Song of the Bones

Death
Perhaps does not mean
the end
of life.

Perhaps, it mimics how
a tiny insect
migrates from one leaf
to the next.

What I know
is so very little.

Would there be wind
in the world
of Bones?

Would there still be
remnants of past dreams
at the glimpse of dawn?

骸骨之歌 (席慕容)

死
也許並不等於
生命的終極
也許只是如尺蠖
從這一葉到另一葉的遷移
我所知道的是多麼的少啊
骸骨的世界裡有沒有風呢
有沒有一些在清晨的微光裡
還糢糊記得的夢

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="320" caption="In the Mist"]

Zen (1)

What was said, or left unsaid
were forgotten
when you left
silently.

I let my tears hide
in the pages of this book.
Just like
those few Jasmine blossoms
from our youth.

Perhaps in an afternoon yet to come
they will take flight
suddenly
into a fragrant-less, sound-less
void.

And perhaps, at that time
outside the window
there would be rain
falling
ever so gently.

禪意（一） (席慕容)
當你沉默地離去
說過的　或沒說過的話
都已忘記
我將我的哭泣也夾在
書頁裏　好像
我們年輕時的那幾朵茉莉
也許會在多年後的
一個黃昏裏
從偶然翻開的扉頁中落下
沒有芳香　再無聲息
窗外那時　也許
會正落著細細的細細的雨

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="324" caption="Imprint"]

Imprint

Do not deny that beautiful promise
from being made
because it may change.

Do not deny yourself that one
wholehearted encounter
because it may end in departure.

There must be something
that will remain.

Remain to be a permanent imprint
so that

So that

Even those whom I have never met
will know

How much, how deeply,

I have loved you.

印記 (席慕容)

不要因為也許會改變
就不肯說那句美麗的誓言
不要因為也許會分離
就不敢求一次傾心的相遇
總有一些什麼
會留下來的吧
留下來作一件不滅的印記
好讓　好讓那些
不相識的人也能知道
我曾經怎樣深深地愛過你

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="260" caption="Vanish"]

If

The four seasons can be
decorated with solemn grayness –
If the Sun so wishes.

Life can be
arranged with profound loneliness –
If Love so wishes.

I can forever
- - vanish - -
If You so wish.

Except for my thoughts of you
my Darling,
I have nothing.

But
If you so wish

I will immediately let these
thoughts wither and fall
If You so wish.

I will unearth every seed
Slit every river
Allow this destitute wasteland to
extend to eternity.

Never think of you again,
for the rest of my life.
Except, perhaps, on those nights
dampened with tears.

If such
is your wish.

---
I made the decision to translate 願意 as “so wish,” contrary to conventions, because I felt this was the essence of the poem that was conveyed to me. Some may argue as to the accuracy, but it’s a conscious personal choice.

如果 (席慕容)

四季可以安排得極為黯淡
如果太陽願意
人生可以安排得極為寂寞
如果愛情願意
我可以永不再出現
如果你願意
除了對妳的思念
親愛的朋友　我一無長物
然而　如果妳願意
我將立即使思念枯萎　斷落
如果妳願意
我將
把每一粒種子都掘起
把每一條河流都切斷
讓荒蕪乾涸延伸到無窮遠
今生今世　永不再將妳想起
除了　除了在有些個
因落淚而濕潤的夜裏
如果妳願意