In this episode of Elixir, Helen is talking to Lijia Zhang about ‘Assembly Line’ by Shu Ting
Chinese ‘Misty’ poet Shu Ting
Text of the poem in Chinese:
流水线 舒婷
在时间的流水线里
夜晚和夜晚紧紧相挨
我们从工厂的流水线撤下
又以流水线的队伍回家来
在我们头顶
星星的流水线拉过天穹
在我们身旁
小树在流水线上发呆
星星一定疲倦了
几千年过去
它们的旅行从不更改
小树都病了
烟尘和单调使它们
失去了线条和色彩
一切我都感觉到了
凭着一种共同的节拍
但是奇怪
我惟独不能感觉到
我自己的存在
仿佛丛树与星群
或者由于习惯
对自己已成的定局
再没有力量关怀
1980.1-2
Translation of the poem:
Assembly Line
On the assembly line of Time
Nights huddle together
We come down from the factory assembly lines
-And join the assembly line going home
Overhead
An assembly line of stars trails across the sky
By our side
A young tree looks dazed on its assembly line
The stars must be tired
Thousands of years have passed
Their journey never changes
The young trees are ill
Dust and monotony deprive them
Of grain and colour
I can feel it all
Because we beat to the same rhythm
But strangely
The only thing I do not feel
Is my own existence
As though the woods and stars
Maybe out of habit
Maybe out of sorrow
No longer have the strength to care
About a destiny they cannot alter.
In 4 Renditions 1987
https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/rct/pdf/e_outputs/b2728/v27&28p253.pdf
About the poet:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shu_Ting
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-02-bk-1769-story.html
http://poem.tuweng.com/1970/shuzuo/2594.html
https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/rct/renditions/e_outputs.html
https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/rct/pdf/e_outputs/b2728/v27&28p253.pdf
About the reader Lijia Zhang:
