Autumn River•Slanting Sun By Dai Xiaodong
Tr. Brent O. Yan
Vanished are the fair clouds. The tall phoenix trees close in
hand in hand with a fathomless look. The buildings from afar
are secluded to be another possibility
The voice of this autumn is wavering with a lost shadow
dancing and drifting over the clear cold waters. Soon
there would be no clear and high sky above
when looking out from the window, you would find
the loud thunder rolling over the great earth of August
The light wine is splashed out from the silvery goblets
The pretentious tablecloth, the transient beauty and the enshrined secret
bleed wet. The wave of laughter comes flooding
row after row, covering up the whistle of the flying arrows
What difference on earth can the pouring rain make
A swimming fish staring at sleepiness at nightfall
drowns some of its desolate memories under the water
The wind now is getting close slowly and the dusk cicadas
in the tall willow are delivering news from the west