Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Qin Xiaoyu

ROCK PAINTER

I carve game on stone, my quarry,
So they become beasts in fur coats, mastered by me.
 
Lines of dry branches, sharp here and there as if broken,
Terror having a pretty grain to it.
 
I paint antlers like dense thickets
So the fawn on the crag will linger at the mountain’s foot.
 
This is how I paint SLOW: the sun sets between the round hills
and I let the evening light tint it.
 
And FAST seems like it can shrink the road’s riders
And the slenderness of their horses’ backs.
 
I carve things that amaze me,
in my ox-eyed amazement.
 
I love to carve what I love to do:
we look like a gecko.
 
The masks I carve can make plants grow faster.
I hope the universe is a bit simpler than that.

ROTSSCHILDER

Ik graveer wild in rotsen,
zodat ze beesten in bontjassen worden, onderworpen door mij.
 
Lijnen van droge takken, hier en daar scherp alsof gebroken,
angst met mooie patronen.
 
Ik teken geweien als dichte bossen,
zodat het reekalf op het klif over zijn persoonlijke bergvoet drentelt.
 
Zo schilder ik LANGZAAM: de zon gaat onder tussen
de ronde heuvels. Ik laat het avondlicht kleuren.
 
En SNEL lijkt een ruiter op de weg en de rankheid
van zijn paardenrug te kunnen inkorten.
 
Ik kerf en verf dingen die mij verwonderen
met koeienoogachtige verwondering.
 
Het liefste teken ik wat ik het liefste doe:
wij zien eruit als een hagedis.
 
De maskers die ik schilder kunnen de plantengroei bevorderen.
Ik hoop dat het heelal eenvoudiger is.

岩画家

我把猎物凿刻在岩石上,
于是变成皮袄的野兽,又被我征服了一回。
 
枯枝线条,间或折断似的锋利,
恐惧有着好看的花纹。
 
我把鹿角画成密实的树林,
于是巉岩上的小鹿,在它随身的山麓间徜徉。
 
我如此画《慢》:日落于
驼峰之间。我让夕光着色。 
 
而《快》是仿佛可以缩短路途的
骑手与马背的细长。
 
我雕画令我惊讶的事物
和牛眼似的惊讶。
 
我最爱画我最爱做的事:
我们看上去像一只壁虎。
 
我画的面具可以促进植物生长。
我希望宇宙更简略一些。
Close

ROCK PAINTER

I carve game on stone, my quarry,
So they become beasts in fur coats, mastered by me.
 
Lines of dry branches, sharp here and there as if broken,
Terror having a pretty grain to it.
 
I paint antlers like dense thickets
So the fawn on the crag will linger at the mountain’s foot.
 
This is how I paint SLOW: the sun sets between the round hills
and I let the evening light tint it.
 
And FAST seems like it can shrink the road’s riders
And the slenderness of their horses’ backs.
 
I carve things that amaze me,
in my ox-eyed amazement.
 
I love to carve what I love to do:
we look like a gecko.
 
The masks I carve can make plants grow faster.
I hope the universe is a bit simpler than that.

ROCK PAINTER

I carve game on stone, my quarry,
So they become beasts in fur coats, mastered by me.
 
Lines of dry branches, sharp here and there as if broken,
Terror having a pretty grain to it.
 
I paint antlers like dense thickets
So the fawn on the crag will linger at the mountain’s foot.
 
This is how I paint SLOW: the sun sets between the round hills
and I let the evening light tint it.
 
And FAST seems like it can shrink the road’s riders
And the slenderness of their horses’ backs.
 
I carve things that amaze me,
in my ox-eyed amazement.
 
I love to carve what I love to do:
we look like a gecko.
 
The masks I carve can make plants grow faster.
I hope the universe is a bit simpler than that.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère