Advancing Years

by Bai Hua

            Heedful among the heedless,
            wakeful among those asleep.
            ---Appamadavagga: Heedfulness, 29

Since Ngo Dinh Diem's predecessor was Chiang Kai-shek,
Soong Mei-ling was a general model of Madame Nhu.
Is it behind the times for our people to huddle together?
Hong Xiuquan is the kid brother of Jesus, really, dude?
Therefore, it's a generational thing to be unheeded...

Still, remember the clouds we've seen?
in one summer evening, when we aged ten;
at age of sixty, we stood on the mouth of Saigon River
one evening in April，and we saw them again.
Our future after that dinner was still young with vigor...

Sisophon of Funan was occupied by Siam,
how terrible are the Angkor elephant's teeth!
"I am frightened that my tribute is a very small gift."
But I thought of your advancing years...

July 5, 2019/ translated by Chen Zihong

译注：柏桦原文引用的是汉译《南传法句经》，此处英文引文系译者查对到的Thanissaro Bhikkhu从巴利文翻译的Appamadavagga: Heedfulness对应的偈颂。

【中文原文】

有生之年

柏桦

                  放逸中无逸，睡众中独醒。
                  ——《南传法句经》

吴庭艳的前辈是蒋介石。
陈丽春的前辈是宋美龄。
吾国人之拥挤是落后吗？
洪秀全真是耶稣的弟弟？
而茫然是一代一代的事……

还记得我们见过的云吗？
在我们十岁夏天的傍晚；
我们六十岁在西贡河口
四月的傍晚又见过一次。
晚餐后的前途依然年轻……

扶南诗梳风被暹罗占领，
吴哥大象的牙齿好可怕！
“但所献轻陋，愧惧唯深。”
但我想到你的有生之年……

注释一：扶南，柬埔寨境内史上一古国；诗梳风，地名，属于柬埔寨；暹罗，泰国古称。
注释二：吴哥，柬埔寨的名胜古迹地。

2019年7月5日