脈水歌 Song of Exploring the Waterways

This pocket-sized paperback is one of the twenty-two titles published for 2015 Hong Kong International Poetry Nights. The theme of IPHHK2015 is “Poetry and Conflict”. 21 international poets from 18 different places are invited to participate in recitations, symposia and sharing sessions of the Poetry Nights. A recitation focusing on 10 local Hong Kong poets, “Hong Kong Cantonese Poetry Night” is included. This collection seeks to make accessible the best of contemporary international poetry with outstanding translations.

宋琳，1959年生於福建廈門，1983年畢業於上海華東師範大學中文系。1991年移居法國，曾就讀於巴黎第七大學遠東系，先後在新加坡、阿根廷居留。2003年以來受聘於國內幾所大學執教。著有詩集《城市人》（1987）、《門廳》（2000）、《斷片與驪歌》（2006）、《城牆與落日》（2007）、《雪夜訪戴》（2015）、《口信》（2015）；編有詩選《空白練習曲》（2002）。現任《今天》文學雜誌的詩歌編輯，《讀詩》主編之一，《當代國際詩壇》編委。宋琳曾獲得「鹿特丹國際詩歌節獎」、「上海文學獎」、「東蕩子詩歌獎」等。

Song Lin graduated from East China Normal University and moved to France to pursue graduate work in Far Eastern Studies at Université Paris Diderot. His poetry collections include City Dwellers (1987), Vestibule (2000), Fragments and Farewell Songs (2006), and Oral Message (2015). He is an editor for the journals Today and Reading Poetry, and serves on the editorial board of Contemporary International Poetry. He is a recipient of the Rotterdam International Poetry Award, the Shanghai Literature Award, and the Dong Dangzi Poetry Award.

憶故人 6

Missing an Old Friend

 

脈水歌──重讀《水經注》 12

Song of Exploring the Waterways－Rereading the

Commentary on the Water Classic

 

布洛涅林中 29

In Bois de Boulogne

 

秦始皇陵的勘探 33

Exploring Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Tomb

 

口信 38

Oral Message

 

用詩占卜 41

Poem Divination

〈脈水歌〉

──重讀《水經注》（節錄）

 

1

大河在遠方閃爍，猶如一道

來自北極的光。太陽的火舌下

羿的箭矢穿過雲的旗幡

我移動，像《山海經》中的測量員

雁陣在藍天書寫一個人字

流水浣洗著林壑的耳朵

在我的衣襟前製造一個節日

飛瀑在懸崖絕壁激起回響

一條又一條河穿過我的軀體

帝國的通都和采邑中有我的驛站

美人因遲暮而憂傷，醒來

衣袖空留昨夜的餘溫

 

Song of Exploring the Waterways－Rereading the

Commentary on the Water Classic (extract)

 

1

The great river glistens in the distance

like an aurora. Yi’s arrows pass cloud banners

under the sun’s flamed tongue.

I move like a surveyor in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

A formation of geese writes the ideogram for person in the blue sky

flowing water washes the ears of the forest ravine

and creates a holiday on the front of my silk robes.

The flying waterfall echoes over the sheer cliffs.

River after river passes by my body.

There are hitching posts for me in imperial Tongdu and Caiyi

The beauty mourns her faded youth, and when she awakens,

all that’s left is last night’s warmth in her sleeves.