Poem
Liu Waitong
WOMAN BURNING CLOTHES
Burn me. The bright opera stage emptieshere by Tung Chung Bay, where tomorrow there will be rainstorms like lanterns for the dead.
Last night flowers hid in her dimples beneath the make-up, just out of sight, but he craned his
neck to see;
the airport is just across the water, but I am unable to send awaythese thousands of forms in one body.
Grass burns at night, white imperial armor breaking camp to flee
as white birds sing in the depths of the valley . . .
The actor bears the phoenix crown, picking and smelling apple blossoms in the rain;
my thin clothes are drenched, my sleeves cold beneath the moon. Looking at
a sea of swaying lights ahead, the world belongs to this small fishing village,
some tear the fans, some lift the curtains, some see the sunshine behind the gloom,
all stage sets will be burned together tomorrow.
She lifts her head, looking out from the stage. From her bosom she takes out a small mirror,
‘look, look,’ and a scene later, the lyrics meld with the rumble of thunder
the man replaces his red clothes with green, but his old make-up remains.
Wait for me to bring the rocks and flint, we will erect on the sea a stage of clouds,
planes taking off and landing, your perfect world is still here.
This naked body remains intact, and the realm of sorrow stays.
© Translation: 2013, Venus Lau
1. Nv Shao Yi, literally “woman burning paper sacrifices but also known as Lao Ju Wen Mi (“the prostitute Wen Mi”), is a well-known Nanyin song from southern Guangdong. The only existing recording of the song is by the blind singer Dou Wun. There is also another Muyu play entitled Nu Shao Yi Qing Lan Fu Jian that depicts a passionate prostitute holding a memorial ceremony for her lover; this poem refers to the latter.
2. Tung Chung is located on the north shore of Lantau Island, adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport. A Hou Wang temple on the shore celebrates the birth of that deity with five full days of Cantonese opera on temporary bamboo stages during the eighth month of the lunar calendar.
VROUWEN VERBRANDEN KLEDING
Verbrand me maar. Het verlichte operapodium loopt leeghier in Tung Chung Baai,
waar morgen wind en regen zullen razen als lantaarns voor de doden.
Bloemen schuilden gisteravond in de kuiltjes van haar wangen, onzichtbaar door haar make-up,
toch strekte hij zich om te kijken,
het nieuwe vliegveld ligt aan de overkant van het zeewater, maar ik kan
het lichaam in duizenden vormen niet wegsturen.
Nachtvuur verbrandt het gras, terwijl de witte schilden het kamp opbreken om ver weg te gaan . . .
witte vogels kwetteren diep in de vallei . . .
De acteur heeft zijn fenikskroon nog niet afgedaan, hij plukt appelbloesems in de regen en ruikt
eraan
mijn dunne kleding is doorweekt, met koude mouwen onder de maan kijk ik
naar een zee van flikkerende lichtjes, hemel en aarde is van dit kleine vissersdorpje,
sommigen verscheuren hun waaier, anderen trekken het gordijn open, weer anderen zien
zonneschijn na regen
het is allemaal goede setting voor de fakkel van morgen.
Maar zij kijkt op vanuit de setting. Ze haalt een spiegeltje uit haar boezem,
‘kijk, kijk,’ in de volgende scene wordt de donder afgewisseld door gezang
de man in rood verkleedt zich in groene kleren, de make-up blijft hetzelfde.
Wanneer ik de stenen breng, de lucifers, zetten we een altaar op zeewater,
vliegtuigen stijgen op en landen, de mooie wereld van jou bestaat nog.
Het naakte pure lichaam en de treurige wereld blijven bestaan.
© Vertaling: 2013, Audrey Heijns
1. De titel van dit gedicht verwijst naar een beroemd Naamyan-lied uit zuid Guangdong, ook wel bekend onder de titel ‘Prostituut Wenmi’. De enige bestaande opname van het lied is van de blinde zanger Dou Wun (Du Huan). Daarnaast bestaat er een Muyu-toneelstuk dat gaat over een prostituee die een herdenkingsceremonie houdt voor haar overleden minnaar. Dit gedicht gaat over laatstgenoemde.
2. Tung Chung is een gebied in het noorden van Lantau-eiland, dat naast het internationale vliegveld van Hongkong ligt. Langs de kust is een Yeung Hau-tempel waar jaarlijks het Hou Wang Festival wordt gehouden en vijf dagen lang Cantonees opera wordt opgevoerd op bamboepodia, tijdens de achtste maand van de Chinese maankalender.
女燒衣
燒我罷。這琳琅戲臺散於東涌灣畔方寸，
明天便風吹雨打如附薦燈。
昨夜笑靨藏花，難窺妝，他卻探頭望，
隔海是新機場，我無法寄走
一身千萬相。
夜火燒草，白甲王槍拔連營終走遠……
白鳥啼處河谷深……
那戲子頭上鳳冠未除，雨中拾得蘋花聞，
我單衣濕透，月下寒袖
看一海的燈火搖盪，天地歸於一個小漁村，
有人撕扇，有人掀簾，有人畫柳暗花明，
統統都是明天付諸一炬的好佈景。
她卻探頭望，從景中。懷中取出一小鏡，
「你看，你看，」一幕後，轟隆隆封相又唱
紅衫郎換了青衫，還是舊時妝。
待我搬石頭來、拿火鐮來，海水上搭一靈台，
飛機起落、你的好世界還在。
這赤條條乾淨身、悲傷世界還在。
© 2008, Liu Waitong
From: He Youling Yiqi de Xianggang Manyou《和幽靈一起的香港漫遊》(With a Ghost Roaming in Hong Kong)
Publisher: Kubrick, Hong Kong
From: He Youling Yiqi de Xianggang Manyou《和幽靈一起的香港漫遊》(With a Ghost Roaming in Hong Kong)
Publisher: Kubrick, Hong Kong
1，《女燒衣》，又名“老舉問米”南粵地水南音著名曲目，現僅存杜煥錄音。亦有木魚書《女燒衣青蘭附薦》歌詞存留，內容為癡情妓女祭奠情人，本詩傾向後者。
2，東涌，位於香港大嶼山島北面，與香港機場相鄰，海邊建有侯王廟，每年農曆8月侯王寶誕均露天搭戲臺唱戲5天5夜。
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WOMAN BURNING CLOTHES
Burn me. The bright opera stage emptieshere by Tung Chung Bay, where tomorrow there will be rainstorms like lanterns for the dead.
Last night flowers hid in her dimples beneath the make-up, just out of sight, but he craned his
neck to see;
the airport is just across the water, but I am unable to send awaythese thousands of forms in one body.
Grass burns at night, white imperial armor breaking camp to flee
as white birds sing in the depths of the valley . . .
The actor bears the phoenix crown, picking and smelling apple blossoms in the rain;
my thin clothes are drenched, my sleeves cold beneath the moon. Looking at
a sea of swaying lights ahead, the world belongs to this small fishing village,
some tear the fans, some lift the curtains, some see the sunshine behind the gloom,
all stage sets will be burned together tomorrow.
She lifts her head, looking out from the stage. From her bosom she takes out a small mirror,
‘look, look,’ and a scene later, the lyrics meld with the rumble of thunder
the man replaces his red clothes with green, but his old make-up remains.
Wait for me to bring the rocks and flint, we will erect on the sea a stage of clouds,
planes taking off and landing, your perfect world is still here.
This naked body remains intact, and the realm of sorrow stays.
© 2013, Venus Lau
From: He Youling Yiqi de Xianggang Manyou《和幽靈一起的香港漫遊》(With a Ghost Roaming in Hong Kong)
From: He Youling Yiqi de Xianggang Manyou《和幽靈一起的香港漫遊》(With a Ghost Roaming in Hong Kong)
1. Nv Shao Yi, literally “woman burning paper sacrifices but also known as Lao Ju Wen Mi (“the prostitute Wen Mi”), is a well-known Nanyin song from southern Guangdong. The only existing recording of the song is by the blind singer Dou Wun. There is also another Muyu play entitled Nu Shao Yi Qing Lan Fu Jian that depicts a passionate prostitute holding a memorial ceremony for her lover; this poem refers to the latter.
2. Tung Chung is located on the north shore of Lantau Island, adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport. A Hou Wang temple on the shore celebrates the birth of that deity with five full days of Cantonese opera on temporary bamboo stages during the eighth month of the lunar calendar.
WOMAN BURNING CLOTHES
Burn me. The bright opera stage emptieshere by Tung Chung Bay, where tomorrow there will be rainstorms like lanterns for the dead.
Last night flowers hid in her dimples beneath the make-up, just out of sight, but he craned his
neck to see;
the airport is just across the water, but I am unable to send awaythese thousands of forms in one body.
Grass burns at night, white imperial armor breaking camp to flee
as white birds sing in the depths of the valley . . .
The actor bears the phoenix crown, picking and smelling apple blossoms in the rain;
my thin clothes are drenched, my sleeves cold beneath the moon. Looking at
a sea of swaying lights ahead, the world belongs to this small fishing village,
some tear the fans, some lift the curtains, some see the sunshine behind the gloom,
all stage sets will be burned together tomorrow.
She lifts her head, looking out from the stage. From her bosom she takes out a small mirror,
‘look, look,’ and a scene later, the lyrics meld with the rumble of thunder
the man replaces his red clothes with green, but his old make-up remains.
Wait for me to bring the rocks and flint, we will erect on the sea a stage of clouds,
planes taking off and landing, your perfect world is still here.
This naked body remains intact, and the realm of sorrow stays.
© 2013, Venus Lau
1. Nv Shao Yi, literally “woman burning paper sacrifices but also known as Lao Ju Wen Mi (“the prostitute Wen Mi”), is a well-known Nanyin song from southern Guangdong. The only existing recording of the song is by the blind singer Dou Wun. There is also another Muyu play entitled Nu Shao Yi Qing Lan Fu Jian that depicts a passionate prostitute holding a memorial ceremony for her lover; this poem refers to the latter.
2. Tung Chung is located on the north shore of Lantau Island, adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport. A Hou Wang temple on the shore celebrates the birth of that deity with five full days of Cantonese opera on temporary bamboo stages during the eighth month of the lunar calendar.
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