At Sunset

By Bai Hua

Such a glorious sunset in Constantinople... in Riga...
they became physical happiness, and he cried
How short is a poetic life as the fugitive particularly gazing out
Will the last he noticed be the first to disappear?

At sunset he met his dad who had been dead for forty years
at GPO Sunset, he brushing past his dad without seeing --
Weird! Why did this happen to Johor in the dream last night?
( Whether remembered or forgotten, it's pleasing.)

Such a glorious sunset in Constantinople... in Riga...
they became physical happiness, and he cried
Another young Nabokov who is like his young mom
hits only with knuckles instead of a whole fist.

Feb 11, 2017 Singapore/ translated by Chen Zihong

晚霞里

柏桦

这君士坦丁堡的晚霞……里加晚霞……
就这样变成了身体的幸福，他看哭了
那逃亡者目光挑剔，诗生活何其短暂
他最后注意到的东西，将会最先消失？

晚霞里，他遇见了往生四十年的父亲
刚刚与他在晚霞邮政总局擦肩而过——
好怪，这事怎么发生在昨晚梦中的柔佛？
（无论记住或忘却，都令人感到高兴）

这君士坦丁堡的晚霞……里加晚霞……
就这样变成了身体的幸福，他看哭了
另一个年轻的纳博科夫像他年轻的母亲
只用指关节打人，从来不用整个拳头。

注释一：“他最后注意到的东西，将会最先消失。”典出《圣经》。
注释二：柔佛（马来文：Johor；英文：Johore），地名，马来西亚十三个州之一，位于亚洲大陆的最南端。

2017年2月11日于新加坡