Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Guo Jinniu

GONE HOME ON PAPER

1.
The teenager on a dark morning counts from 1st to 13th floor,
by the time he gets there, he’s on the roof.
Him.
 
Fly, fly. The motions of birds, inimitable.
The teenager draws a straight line, immediately
a line of lightning
could only see the nearer half.
The Earth, a little larger than Longhua Town, rolls up to meet him.
 
Speed carried the teenager off; rice carried off a miniscule white.
 
2.
Mother’s tears jump from the tiles’ edges.
This is the 13th jump in six months. Those twelve names in the past,
the dust just settled.
All night autumn wind runs through Mother’s reed plumes.
 
His white ashes, delicate whites heading home on the train,
he’s unconcerned with rice white, reed plume white,
Mother’s white,
frostfall’s white
 
Such an enormous white buries a miniscule white,
just like Mother buried her small children.
 
3.
On the 13th floor, a suicide net is closing up, this is my job
in order to make a day’s pay.
I tighten a screw step by step, counter-sink it clockwise,
it struggles and fights me in the dark,
the harder I push, the greater the danger.
 
Rice lips of fresh water, tiny dimples hide two drops of dew, she is still worrying.
 
Autumn loses
one set of clothes a day.
My friend, gone home on paper, besides rice, your fiancée,
rarely does anyone recall that in Room 701 of this building,
you occupied a bunk,
ate Dongguan rice noodles.

OP PAPIER TERUG NAAR HUIS

1.
Een jongen, telt kort voor dageraad, van de eerste tot de dertiende verdieping.
Als hij klaar is met tellen staat hij op het dak.
Hij.
 
Vlieg, vlieg. De beweging van vogels, onnavolgbaar.
De jongeman trekt een rechte lijn, zo snel,
een bliksemflits,
je ziet alleen, de voorste helft.
De aarde, groter dan het stadje Longhua, komt hem tegemoet.
 
Snelheid leidt de jongen weg; rijst leidt het kleine wit weg.
 
2.
Moeders tranen springen van de rand van dakpannen.
Dit is de dertiende sprong in een half jaar. Die eerdere twaalf,
stof, net neergedaald.
De herfstwind wiegt moeders rietpluimen nachtenlang.
 
Zijn witte as, broos wit, keert per trein terug naar huis,
zonder aandacht voor het rijstwit, het rietpluimwit,
moeders wit,
rijpwit.
 
Het enorme wit begraaft het minuscule wit,
net zoals moeder haar dochter begroef.
 
3.
Op de dertiende verdieping wordt een net tegen zelfmoord vastgemaakt, mijn werk
om het loon van één dag te krijgen.
Uit alle macht draai ik, met de klok mee, beetje bij beetje een schroef vast,
hij stribbelt stiekem tegen, protesteert.
Hoe meer kracht ik zet, hoe gevaarlijker.
 
Rijst, vissengeurlippen, een kuiltje met twee druppels dauw. Ze is nog steeds bezorgd.
 
Herfstkleren
worden iedere dag minder.
Mijn vriend die op papier terug naar huis is gekeerd, behalve rijst, jouw verloofde,
zijn er maar weinig mensen die nog weten dat jij in kamer 701 van dit gebouw
ooit een bed hebt gehad,
dongguan rijstnoedels hebt gegeten.

纸上还乡

 一
    少年,在某个凌晨,从一楼数到十三楼。
    数完就到了楼顶。
    他。
    飞啊飞。鸟的动作,不可模仿。
    少年划出一道直线,那么快
    一道闪电
    只目击到,前半部份
    地球,比龙华镇略大,迎面撞来
    速度,领走了少年;米,领走了小小的白。
    二
    母亲的泪,从瓦的边缘跳下。
    这是半年之中的第十三跳。之前,那十二个名字
    微尘,刚刚落下。
    秋风,连夜吹动母亲的荻花。
白白的骨灰,轻轻的白,坐着火车回家,它不关心米的白,荻花的白
    母亲的白
    霜降的白
那么大的白,埋住小小的白
    就象母亲埋着女儿。
    三
    十三楼,防跳网正在封装,这是我的工作
    为拿到一天的工钱
    用力沿顺时针方向,将一颗螺丝逐步固紧,它在暗中挣扎和反抗
    我越用力,危险越大
    米,鱼香的嘴唇,小小的酒窝养着两滴露水。她还在担心
    秋天的衣服
    一天少一件。
    纸上还乡的好兄弟,除了米,你的未婚妻
    很少有人提及你在这栋楼的701
    占过一个床位
    吃过东莞米粉。
Close

GONE HOME ON PAPER

1.
The teenager on a dark morning counts from 1st to 13th floor,
by the time he gets there, he’s on the roof.
Him.
 
Fly, fly. The motions of birds, inimitable.
The teenager draws a straight line, immediately
a line of lightning
could only see the nearer half.
The Earth, a little larger than Longhua Town, rolls up to meet him.
 
Speed carried the teenager off; rice carried off a miniscule white.
 
2.
Mother’s tears jump from the tiles’ edges.
This is the 13th jump in six months. Those twelve names in the past,
the dust just settled.
All night autumn wind runs through Mother’s reed plumes.
 
His white ashes, delicate whites heading home on the train,
he’s unconcerned with rice white, reed plume white,
Mother’s white,
frostfall’s white
 
Such an enormous white buries a miniscule white,
just like Mother buried her small children.
 
3.
On the 13th floor, a suicide net is closing up, this is my job
in order to make a day’s pay.
I tighten a screw step by step, counter-sink it clockwise,
it struggles and fights me in the dark,
the harder I push, the greater the danger.
 
Rice lips of fresh water, tiny dimples hide two drops of dew, she is still worrying.
 
Autumn loses
one set of clothes a day.
My friend, gone home on paper, besides rice, your fiancée,
rarely does anyone recall that in Room 701 of this building,
you occupied a bunk,
ate Dongguan rice noodles.

GONE HOME ON PAPER

1.
The teenager on a dark morning counts from 1st to 13th floor,
by the time he gets there, he’s on the roof.
Him.
 
Fly, fly. The motions of birds, inimitable.
The teenager draws a straight line, immediately
a line of lightning
could only see the nearer half.
The Earth, a little larger than Longhua Town, rolls up to meet him.
 
Speed carried the teenager off; rice carried off a miniscule white.
 
2.
Mother’s tears jump from the tiles’ edges.
This is the 13th jump in six months. Those twelve names in the past,
the dust just settled.
All night autumn wind runs through Mother’s reed plumes.
 
His white ashes, delicate whites heading home on the train,
he’s unconcerned with rice white, reed plume white,
Mother’s white,
frostfall’s white
 
Such an enormous white buries a miniscule white,
just like Mother buried her small children.
 
3.
On the 13th floor, a suicide net is closing up, this is my job
in order to make a day’s pay.
I tighten a screw step by step, counter-sink it clockwise,
it struggles and fights me in the dark,
the harder I push, the greater the danger.
 
Rice lips of fresh water, tiny dimples hide two drops of dew, she is still worrying.
 
Autumn loses
one set of clothes a day.
My friend, gone home on paper, besides rice, your fiancée,
rarely does anyone recall that in Room 701 of this building,
you occupied a bunk,
ate Dongguan rice noodles.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère