Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Sun Wenbo

BLAND LIFE, BLUNT POETRY

Apples change genes, oranges change genders,
words become absolutely tyrannical under the shadow of -ism.
I speak but say nothing; you oppose and oppose everything.
The paradox of rhetoric leads me to the way of poetry,
I travel valleys and gullies like a huge bird in the sky, only to see
fruits become symbols. Too symbolic,
the toughness of apples, the brutality of oranges. To find gentleness
I have to clear away other words from the pile. I plane off
the snobby and sneaky ones, they’ve been trying to use the old against . . .
Or let me put it another way, they act as if they were authorities,
as if they were ministers, or even emperors, of words.
The kingdom of language is decadent. How have I tolerated it
for so long? I’d rather see chaos. I say
chaos is good!  When apples fly in the air
oranges become shields against the -ism. Or when I see
apples swimming in the ocean of words like mermaids,
oranges a pack of camels carrying feelings on their backs,  I feel
liberated. I feel so liberated I start writing about
the republic of apples and democracy of oranges. When I see
apples have not become tanks, oranges not bombs,
I know I’ve not become a slave of words after all.

平淡的生活,生硬的诗

平淡的生活,生硬的诗

苹果在转变基因。柑橘在变性。主义
笼罩下的词绝对专制。我说,等于我
什么都没说;你反对,等于你什么
都反对。悖论的修辞,让我寻找诗的成立。
付出的是心游万壑,如鹏击长空,看到
苹果和柑橘被搞成可怜的象征;太象征了。
苹果的强硬,柑橘的粗暴。以至
在一堆词中间,我寻找它们的温柔,
必须刨开其他词。重要的是,我必须刨开
世故的、奸侫的词,它们一直试图用旧反对……,
或者这样说,一直以权威面貌出现,
好像自己是词的大臣,词的皇帝。让我感到,
词的国度其实是腐朽国。唉,我怎能
长期容忍这种事发生。我宁愿目睹混乱。
我说,混乱好啊。当苹果也能在空中飞翔,
柑橘成为与主义斗争的盾牌。或者,
当我看到苹果在词的海里翱游,就像美人鱼;
柑橘也被人看作驮起情感的骆驼。到那时
我才会觉得我得到解放;在解放中,
我写下苹果的共和和柑橘的民主。我会说:
看到苹果没有变成坦克,柑橘没有成为
炸弹。就是看到我终于没有成词的奴隶。
Close

BLAND LIFE, BLUNT POETRY

Apples change genes, oranges change genders,
words become absolutely tyrannical under the shadow of -ism.
I speak but say nothing; you oppose and oppose everything.
The paradox of rhetoric leads me to the way of poetry,
I travel valleys and gullies like a huge bird in the sky, only to see
fruits become symbols. Too symbolic,
the toughness of apples, the brutality of oranges. To find gentleness
I have to clear away other words from the pile. I plane off
the snobby and sneaky ones, they’ve been trying to use the old against . . .
Or let me put it another way, they act as if they were authorities,
as if they were ministers, or even emperors, of words.
The kingdom of language is decadent. How have I tolerated it
for so long? I’d rather see chaos. I say
chaos is good!  When apples fly in the air
oranges become shields against the -ism. Or when I see
apples swimming in the ocean of words like mermaids,
oranges a pack of camels carrying feelings on their backs,  I feel
liberated. I feel so liberated I start writing about
the republic of apples and democracy of oranges. When I see
apples have not become tanks, oranges not bombs,
I know I’ve not become a slave of words after all.

BLAND LIFE, BLUNT POETRY

Apples change genes, oranges change genders,
words become absolutely tyrannical under the shadow of -ism.
I speak but say nothing; you oppose and oppose everything.
The paradox of rhetoric leads me to the way of poetry,
I travel valleys and gullies like a huge bird in the sky, only to see
fruits become symbols. Too symbolic,
the toughness of apples, the brutality of oranges. To find gentleness
I have to clear away other words from the pile. I plane off
the snobby and sneaky ones, they’ve been trying to use the old against . . .
Or let me put it another way, they act as if they were authorities,
as if they were ministers, or even emperors, of words.
The kingdom of language is decadent. How have I tolerated it
for so long? I’d rather see chaos. I say
chaos is good!  When apples fly in the air
oranges become shields against the -ism. Or when I see
apples swimming in the ocean of words like mermaids,
oranges a pack of camels carrying feelings on their backs,  I feel
liberated. I feel so liberated I start writing about
the republic of apples and democracy of oranges. When I see
apples have not become tanks, oranges not bombs,
I know I’ve not become a slave of words after all.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
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