There are many rooms in my body
I used to be a castle with brilliant lights.
My hall always full of music and dance every night,
always people coming in and out of the bright porch,
the restaurant filled with the colours and fragrances of the four seasons.
There were people living in every room:
my friends, classmates, and relatives.
Of course, there were old wine barrels in the basement,
secret rooms for meditation in the stone tower,
the library had all kinds of rare books.
There were herds of cattle and sheep on the hillside outside my castle,
rivers, woods, orchards and pastures;
like a necklace surrounding the castle.
Now there are fewer and fewer rooms with lights on,
everyone’s departed.
There is one room that is always dark
forever closed, only I occasionally open the door
like an elderly caretaker
stands in the silence of many years ago;
there are still floating breaths
like fine dust in light.
One day I will leave
the last room in my building will also go out,
I will stand in the darkness outside for a moment;
look up at the faces that emerge from behind each window.
English Translation by Ma Yongbo and Helen Pletts 2024
《我身体⾥的房间》⻢永波
我身体⾥有很多个房间
它曾是⼀座灯⽕辉煌的城堡
⼤厅⾥夜夜笙歌不断
明亮的⻔廊总有⼈进进出出
餐厅⾥弥漫四季的⾊彩与芬芳
每个房间⾥都住着⼈
我的朋友，同学，亲⼈
当然，地下室⾥会有经年的酒桶
⽯头的塔楼上有可供静修的密室
图书馆中的珍本应有尽有
城堡外的⼭坡⽜⽺成群
河流，树林，果园与牧场
如同项链将城堡环绕
如今亮灯的房间越来越少
每⼀个⼈的离去
就有⼀个屋⼦永远⿊掉
永远关闭，只有我偶尔打开⻔
像⼀个上了年纪的管理员
站到多年前的寂静中
那⾥，还有漂浮的呼吸
如同光线中细微的灰尘
当有⼀天我也离开
⼤厦最后⼀个房间也将熄灭
⽽我会在外⾯的⿊暗中站上⽚刻
仰望每⼀扇窗后浮现的⾯孔
2016
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