第五章
MY WISH
—When a Nuosu child comes into this world,
its mother will cleanse it with pure water from a stream.
One day when it is my time to die
When I tread on long shadows, heading towards high mountains
Ah, Mother, where will you be?
Though I call you in a milky-toned voice
There can be no sound from you
Only when twilight comes
At our cremation ground
Will I see your wavering silhouette
At this time let me draw near you
Ah mother, my mother
You are not a warm wind
You are not a drizzling rain
You are simply a meadow
A green place, lush and quiet
So let me sing nakedly
An old song I learned
Ah mother, my mother
Don抰 moan for me with your mouth
If this is the hour of love
Evening dew will fall
In this world that has lost its way
In this crowd that blows hot and cold
My skin is tinged by sunlight
My eyes have a forest color
But can you see
My body of flesh
This physical frame
That once was pure because of you
Has been chiseled by ugliness?
Ah mother, my mother
Am I truly to see you soon?
Then please perform for your child
Another sacred cleansing
Let this flesh of mine be fully clean
For its eternal sleep in your embrace
LISTENING TO THE SOUL-SENDING SCRIPTURE
If I could ask a bimo to send off my soul
During the days of my lifetime
If I could trace the route back to my ancestors
During the days of my lifetime
If this could be done
And were not a dream
And if my elders who have gone
To their eternal rest
Were to ask me what I do each day
I would say truthfully
This fellow has ardent love
For all races of people
And for fragrant lips of women
Often he stays up late writing poems