Seven Zingers By Yan Li Poem by Denis Mair

(from his ongoing series of short poems, 'Polyhedral Mirror')
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***
I don't want to ride a sickbed into the 2020s
but the 2020s are riding into my body on a sickbed of their own
我不想乘坐病床进入二十一世纪二十年代
但二十一世纪二十年代会乘坐病床进入我的身体
***
An event that makes the collective face turn red
only happens in back alleys of a nation's consciousness
一桩使集体脸红的事情
只发生在人类民族意识的小巷里
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Inter-party conflict has to elevate the reason for a gang fight
to national or racial status
because that is where the convalescents get the best treatment
党派之争必须把打群架的理由升高到
国家与民族的地位
因为那儿有最好的条件疗伤
***
Pieces of cloth cut from two flags
make elbow patches for my worn sleeves
I feel them lifted in a carefree-beggar breeze
从旗帜上剪下两块布
补我磨破的袖口
体会两袖清风曾被举起来的滋味
***
Walking along
if you don't kick something down the road, you start to look effete
He has the word "door" embroidered on his trouser leg
the door to a nation
往前走
不踢一点东西显得过于斯文
他把「门」字
缝在库脚上
那扇国家的门
***
Before my eyes dripping with quicksilver tears
the mirror shows glass grown puffy from crying
镜子在我滴着水银的双眼前
照见了它哭肿的玻璃
***
Night-time
I leap up like a volleyball player
to spike the lamp's light within bounds of hell
and win for heaven the dream of Man's survival
夜晚
我像排球运动员一样跃起
把灯光像球扣在地狱界内
为天堂赢得了人类生存的那场美梦
(translated by yours truly)
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*Photo: Two of my poet friends--- Yan Li (R) is founder and co-chair of the Flushing Chinese Poetry Fest. Prior to that, he founded the Beijing Mid-Autumn Poetry Festival. As an artist, he was a member of the seminal early avant-garde group, the Star Star Painters. The late Meng Lang (L) was a poet and co-founder of the Chinese Independent P.E.N. Center.}