Ting Kheng Siong 郑景祥 (b. 1971)

SELECTED POEMS

史诗的初稿

岛国的自治像史诗的初稿
哪一天那一天
字迹太潦草
国庆只记得1965年的独立
如记得最后才刊登的诗句

我得用我不熟悉的氛围去解读
这段向命运要来的自由
乌云埋伏在政府大厦草场
520000双眼睛第一次把自己看成国民
不敢奢望几时可以拿着票据
兑现工作、住屋和学校的卑微期盼

吃一口榴梿
把家书折叠在记忆的北端
总不能让当年仓皇逃往的战将
永远有英雄式的回航
横行在历史贫瘠的南洋之南

1948年是13800人梦想的起航
6双手来支撑一整个岛的重量
林德宪法出面安抚，选出首席部长
却常被忘记安排坐在总督身边
殖民政府已褪了光环
凭什么总督和女皇才可以定案

可能马共的威胁已经放晴
还是第二任首席部长的名字使然
久候的原乡终于1959年登岸

再让我重读史诗的悲壮
尽管大半意象已被侵蚀遗忘
模糊在历史的后巷
但我确信没有初稿就没有落款
城市再繁华，课本再退让
岛国的史诗不需要注释

by Ting Kheng Siong 郑景祥
from Room for Thirty-Three (2004)

First Draft of an Epic

So self-rule for an island is like the first draft of an epic 
which year, which day: 
the handwriting’s illegible 
National Day only marks sovereignty in ‘65
that’s like keeping just the final published version. 

Only with fresh eyes can I ken
this fateful boredom
Storm-clouds loom on the Padang
520,000 pairs of eyes see themselves for the first time as citizens 
not daring to hope they might turn in a vote 
for work, school, a roof over their heads.

A bite of durian 
Exile memoir to memory’s border 
Never suffer yesteryear’s war-flung warriors 
to be heralded home as heroes 
after wandering time-tossed south of the southern seas

1948: the dreams of 13,800, launched 
Six pairs of hands weigh an island 
Rendel appeases with a Constitution, appoints a Chief Minister, 
takes his place (oft forgotten) by the Governor’s side
With the colonial government having lost its lustre
Wherefore wait on Queen and Governor? 

With the MCP threat bated 
(or due to the second Chief’s Minister name) 
that long-awaited homecoming reaches shore in ‘59

Let me reread this grave epic 
Though much has been abraded, abandoned
to the dim backalleys of history 
Without a first draft I think there can be no imprimatur
The city may prosper, the text books comply 
This island’s epic needs no annotation

by Ting Kheng Siong 郑景祥
translated from the Chinese by Alvin Pang
from Room for Thirty-Three (2004)

 

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