Image: Sasha Pletts, birthplace: Ukraine, 2021. Sasha is a rescue dog from the Ukraine,
arriving in the UK in 2022, as an orphan of the storm.
sleeping in the soft of fur, the night cover of tameness,
breathlessness. I am the warm-heart, the beast in sleepiness,
the still lion of the coverlet, dreaming in stillness.
I hear with the borrowed purse of a mermaid.
If am listening at all it is from the silent hollow of a discarded shell,
nestled in the white grains of the sandy shore, obscured by the silence of sleep
By Helen Pletts 海伦·普莱茨
2nd December 2024
Read by Helen Pletts
夜晚在狗耳的丝绸中Night in the Silk of a Dog’s ear.
Read by Ma Yongbo
,
,
夜晚在狗⽿的丝绸中— 献给萨莎 night in the silk of a dog’s ear — for Sasha ⻢永波译
睡在柔软的⽑发⾥，驯服的夜幕，
⽆声的呼吸。我是温暖的⼼，困倦的野兽，
被⼦⾥静⽌的狮⼦，在宁静中梦着。
我借⽤美⼈⻥的钱包听⻅了⼀切。
如果我在听，那就是⼀只被遗弃的空⻉壳的寂静，
蜷缩在⽩⾊沙滩上，被睡眠的寂静所覆盖。
Translated By Ma Yongbo ⻢永波 December 31, 2024
Banana — For Helen’s Sasha⾹蕉——给海伦的萨沙 ⻢永波
I know almost nothing about Cambridge,
except for its famous university. Does it have bridges,
rivers, what do people eat there? I have no idea.
But there is a dog named Sasha, a survivor of war,
her narrow little face, the gravel path she walks on, and her owner Helen
are so vivid in my mind that I feel as if I’ve always been there.
I watch the video recorded by poetess Helen again and again
and in it, Sasha eats a banana from her hand.
“Sasha loves bananas.” Her kisses are wet,
and she likes to follow Helen around the kitchen,
like a shadow, but as soon as she gets food,
she quickly disappears. This makes me laugh for a long time.
This is all I know about Cambridge,
whether the rest exists, how desolate its suburbs are,
it doesn’t matter, as long as one day, if I walk past Helen’s garden,
if I shout, “Here are bananas!”
and two glowing narrow little faces quickly appear—
that will be enough.
By Ma Yongbo ⻢永波
Read by Helen Pletts
香蕉-给海伦的Banana — For Helen’s Sasha
Read by Ma Yongbo
Translated by Ma Yongbo ⻢永波 and Helen Pletts 海伦·普莱茨 26th February 2024
⾹蕉——给海伦的萨沙 Banana — For Helen’s Sasha ⻢永波
关于剑桥，我⼏乎⼀⽆所知，
除了⼀所著名的⼤学。它有没有桥
有没有河，⼈们吃些什么：⼀⽆所知。
但是有⼀条叫做萨沙的，从战⽕中幸存的狗，
她的⼩窄脸，它散步的砂⽯路，和她的主⼈海伦
却在我脑海⾥⽆⽐⽣动。我仿佛⼀直在那⾥。
我⼀遍遍地看着诗⼈海伦录制的视频
⾥边，萨沙在从她⼿上吃⾹蕉
“萨沙喜欢⾹蕉。”她的吻是湿漉漉的
她喜欢在厨房⾥跟在海伦身后
像影⼦⼀样，但只要得到了⻝物
她就会迅速消失。这让我笑了好⼀阵⼦
关于剑桥，我了解的就这么多
其他的是否存在，它的郊区有多么荒凉
都⽆所谓，只要有⼀天我从海伦的花园路过
只要我⼤声说，“这⾥有⾹蕉！”
有两张发光的⼩窄脸迅速出现，这就够了
2024年12⽉31⽇
Sasha’s mummy and rescuer, Helen Pletts
.
.