Sometimes I gaze at the stars for a long time,
I don’t know the orbit of any one of them.
Yuan Ren, a versatile poet and writer from China, shares his poetry
Yuan Ren, born in 1970 in Changsha, Hunan, is a versatile writer whose works span poetry, fiction, essays, criticism, and biographies. He has published over 30 personal works. He currently resides in Dongguan.
(Translator: Ma Yongbo)
Sometimes I Gaze at the Stars for a Long Time
Sometimes I gaze at the stars for a long time,
I don’t know the orbit of any one of them.
They draw my eyes with their flickering light,
Highlighting themselves against the black expanse of the sky.
I can’t say what I’m pondering,
Perhaps my mind is entirely empty.
I’ve traveled many places, met many men and women,
But none of them have conquered me.
I still love the distant, the mysterious,
I am still occupied by my ignorance.
Throughout my life, I’ve drawn many conclusions,
Only to overturn them all later.
Now only the stars continue to captivate me,
I know my gaze is dim and faint,
Yet night after night, I linger in my long stare,
Communing with the unreachable ends of my world.
***
有时我长久地凝视星星
有时我长久地凝视星星
我不知道任何一颗的轨道
它们用闪烁吸引我的眼睛
用整块天空的黑色凸显自己
说不清我在思索什么
或许我的大脑压根就是空荡
我走过很多地方，认识过很多
男人和女人，他们没有把我征服
我仍然喜欢遥远，喜欢神秘
我仍然被我的无知占领
一生中我得出过很多结论
后来又把它们全部推翻
现在只有星星继续将我吸引
我知道我的仰望非常黯淡
但我还是一夜夜长久凝视
一夜夜和我到不了的尽头交流
***
I Have Finally Left the Noisy Crowd
I have finally left the noisy crowd,
They surrounded me for too long.
I constantly felt their force,
Threatening to destroy one’s solitude.
I was once addicted to them,
For fear of encountering mistakes.
Their gathering felt like a truth,
Drawing countless people near.
But then I began to doubt,
When I turned and saw the solitary sun and moon,
When in a lonely book,
I saw praise for solitude.
I have finally left the crowd,
And at last heard a voice within me.
It comes from valleys and meadows, from dawn stirred by a breeze,
A world of all things descending in awe.
***
我终于离开嘈杂的人群
我终于离开嘈杂的人群
他们包围我太久
我时时感觉他们的力量
将毁灭一个人的孤独
我沉迷过他们
因为我害怕遭遇错误
他们的聚集像一个真理
吸引不计其数的人走近
后来我开始怀疑
当我转身看见孤独的太阳和月亮
当我在一本孤独的书上
看见对孤独的赞美
我终于离开了人群
我终于听见我心里有种声音
它来自山谷和草地，来自微风吹动的黎明
一个万物的世界在震撼地降临
***
Your Whole Journey Is Not Yet Over
Your whole journey is not yet over,
There are still some dark nights, some wrong turns,
Some stubborn lights
Shining in places you have not yet arrived.
You have not taken shortcuts,
The road leading to the world
Is winding under everyone’s feet.
At times, the dark nights stir your fears.
You often feel there is no path, but you must go on,
Until you hear certain voices.
When you hear them, you no longer feel alone,
Even though you never truly became one of them.
They too travel alone; you do not know who is ahead,
Who is behind? You tell yourself
You must reach the place where the lights shine, that is your destination.
There, you will find your next long beginning.
***
你全部的旅程并没有结束
你全部的旅程并没有结束
还有一些暗夜，还有一些歧途
还有一些固执的灯光
在你没有到达的地方亮起
你没有走过捷径
一条通往世界的路
无论在谁的脚下都十分曲折
有时一些黑夜会唤起你的恐惧
你常常觉得没有路了，但还是要走
直到你听见一些声音
你听见了，才觉得自己不再孤独
尽管你从未融入过他们
他们也是独自赶路，你不知谁在前面
谁在后面。你告诉自己
一定要走到有灯光的地方，那是你的终点
你将在那里，得到下一个漫长的开始
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