A Poem for the Baiyang Marsh District [白洋澱的獻詩]

I'm going to leave this village at the head of the big marsh-lake
Mama, the little boat says: Tonight there'll be wind and waves
when a mist drops like a sail and floats out over the surface of the river
a sigh like an iron anchor heaves up from deep in my chest
Ai! At each gathering of fate I have the luck to be there
but I can never wash away the heart of spades' card
I'm so like a small humped shrimp without the least life experience
its thousands of feelers struggling in the unreal waterweeds
I'm going to leave this village at the head of the big marsh-lake
Mama, I never won that thin weakling of a girl
when she raised a glass to toast at a fisherman's banquet
she appeared every bit a brave he-man
Mama, I always miss out on the good times in the prosperous seasons
The fishnets wistful, beautiful and barren
above the six reeds in the wind like six guitar strings
like the broken reeds and six broken guitar strings
I'm going to leave this village at the head of the big marsh-lake
Mama, I lie on shore sticking out a wooden stake entwined in tired fingers
this night's the last when all China's children will shut out the stars
this is the most barren and open country, ever opened up behind me
Hey! This patch of parched corn once had a green past, too
just as my green spring once dreamt of covering the earth of this nation
Today, thin and yellow, this old corn patch can't find one drop of water
like me, faded away incomparably under the glare of the sun
I am about to leave this village at the head of the big marsh-lake
Mama, I want to row a fast boat back to your heart shaped like an island
there, how often did you look sadly forward to the foreshore of a life I float over like a duck
your dew white tears will fall on my green lotus-leaf palm
Often I brag to you: I am a big big poet
all the kind people will publicly acclaim me
A! On the road home to see you how often did I also look sadly forward
to a laurel of lotus resting in my green lotus-leaf palm

白洋澱的獻詩

我就要離開大澱頭村莊
媽媽，小船說：今夜有風又有浪
當一片落帆似的薄霧沿著靜靜的河面飄蕩
我一聲鐵錨般的嘆息來自深深的胸膛

唉！每一次命運的聚會我都湊巧趕來
但我永遠也玩不贏那幅黑桃般心靈的紙牌
我多像那只駝了背卻沒有一點人生經驗的蝦米
用千萬只手掙紮在虛幻的水草裏

我就要離開大澱頭村莊
媽媽，我卻沒有征服那位瘦弱的姑娘
她在漁家的酒席上幹起杯來
就跟豪俠的男子漢一模一樣

我總錯掉旺季的好時光
漁網在惆悵，美好而荒涼
在吉他琴那六根風中的蘆葦上
在吉他琴那六根風中的蘆葦上

我就要離開大澱頭村莊
媽媽，我躺在岸上伸著系滿了疲倦的手指的木椿
這是全中國的孩子都閉上了星星的最後一夜
這是我身後展開的一次最荒涼的田野

呵！這片幹枯的老玉米也曾有過綠色的過去
就像我的青春曾夢想覆蓋民族的大地
呵！這片老玉米如今卻又黃又瘦地找不到一滴水
就像我在太陽的照耀下，無比的頹廢

我就要離開大澱頭村莊
媽媽，我要劃著快船回到你島形的心上
在那上面，你多少次傷心地企望過我漂泊的生涯
你白露的淚水就掉在我荷葉的綠手掌上

我常常向你誇口：我是個很大很大的詩人
所有善良的人們都把我公認
呵！我也曾多少次傷心地企望過在回家看望你的路上
那荷花的桂冠就托在我荷葉的綠手掌上