Absorbed in Gesaku Fiction

By Bai Hua

Ukiyo-e is a genre painting, and Gesaku a fiction
After yam porridge, I wrote a pure gold smoke tube glorious

When their own flesh warms up, will humanity come back?
Yep, the immortal seeks suffering, only for nostalgia

Does a Muslim insist on wearing a white skullcap?
Sure, we do this just for clean, for convenience of the salat

It's the weapon of civilization - the value measuring sets!
Last century beginning, writers and painters were set up to have long hair

Dec. 11, 2015 / translated by Chen Zihong

The title of this poem just from Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's novel Gesakuzanmai ( Absorbed in Writing Popular Novels ), and Gesaku (戯作) is an alternative style, genre, or school of Japanese literature. In the simplest contemporary sense, any literary work of a playful, mocking, joking, silly or frivolous nature may be called gesaku.  -Tr.

[中文原文]

戏作三昧

柏桦

浮世绘是风俗画，戏作是小说
山药粥后，我写洋洋得意的纯金烟管

肉体暖和了，人性就复苏吗？
是的，仙人追寻苦难，只为留恋人间

穆斯林非要戴那顶白帽子吗？
是的，我们为了清洁，为了方便礼拜

文明的利器——价值测定仪！
上世纪初就判决作家和画家都留长发

注释一：“戏作三昧”，是芥川龙之介的一篇小说。“戏作”是江户时代流行的读本（相当于中国的长篇说部，以复杂的、传奇的结构见长）、洒落本、滑稽本、人情本等的总称。“三昧”为佛家语，指事物的诀要或精义。如称某人在某方面造诣很深，即“得其三昧”。

2015年12月11日

选自柏桦诗集《竹笑》