IN THE TEETH OF THE DRAGON

(for Du Hongbo,© August, 2011.)

诗人：Glen Phillips

译者： 杜洪波

So we came all the way to this sand, 漫行金沙

yellow, studded with stone pinnacles 嶙峋奇石

blowing in the wind, erasing footprints 影影绰绰

of our passage through this land 轻舞扬尘

抹一行痕迹

Here minds try to bend stone 膜拜景仰

shapes to find gods or demons 自然之力

in dysmorphic pillars, blonde 巧夺天工

or brindled, ruined steles of bone. 叹若神明

塑一世奇观

Foreign tourists arrive in swarms 形形游人

as we lunch on our picnic repast. 簇拥而至

If we feel like temple worshippers, 伏地而食

we’re consuming our proffered alms. 诚虔如僧

饮上苍赐允

But now the sightseers circulate 心之若鹜

assiduous with photographs, like 巧笑顾盼

some sunhatted dragon colourful 以沙为景

in festive dance. They seem to debate 与石相依

in their lilting tones as they’re led 喃喃细语

by a guide, her war pennant aloft; 游旗轻曳

they’re hailing the shape of a lion 如长龙游弋

or a camel, or the Great Wall instead. 念旷世林石

At last their bus roars off and dust 余余回味

drifts back over the stone forest 舟车散逸

and we can sit in silence again, 还留寂宁

shake off the crumbs, as one must, 伴意犹未尽

and stroll one more time through lipped 闲庭信步

avenues of sand and stone. Far off, surf 余留行迹

seethes over reefs on a cobalt sea, until 渐行渐远

clouds have gathered and the sun dipped. 日落西径

看浪花泛起

Wind drives the dune’s sand grains down, 风起沙落

warning us we should depart this place; 绝尘远去

and so we motor slowly northwards again 点点渔火

to where fisherfolk have built their town. 一路归北

憾依依别惜

It seems a grey jumble of houses 悠悠暗岛

in the lee of low limestone islands 亭台楼宇

topped with fresh green shrubbery. 青葱翠绿

On the beach we stroll in rolled trousers 交互辉映

to stir stormwrack of trash and seaweed 明汐暗涌

and strewn shells with our bare toes. 轻沙曼舞

Then be drawn to backrunning waves, 海藻仙贝

our naked feet trembling with strange need. 刺足触心

听涛声依旧

幻循循迷情

Yet out across tossing waters of the sea 驰骋浪尖

we could glimpse something—hardly 幻真幻影

breaking above the ocean’s moving lips— 念念不舍

those dragon teeth and tail lashing free. 叹白驹过隙