Song of the Clock

Song of the Clock
(Shortlisted for The Flushing Poetry Festive in the U.S. in 2019)

By Jing Yu
Translated by Frank Zhao

You and I used to resemble 
A clock’s second hand
Gear biting gear
With skipping strides
Breathlessly 
Running after the minute hand

We also used to resemble
A clock’s minute hand
Excited to go so fast
But so fatigued by its burden
It left its soul behind

In the end 
We will be like the hour hand
Sharing a place
On a natal chart
Watching everyone race against time
As it charges toward them 

But
In the hands of destiny 
Mechanically 
It comes to a stop
Except for the tick tock sound
I forget what else
We’ll be able to revisit 

时钟之歌

文/静语

你我
曾像秒针
齿轮咬合着齿轮
三步并作两步
喘息地
向着分针狂奔

我们
也曾像分针
在高速中亢奋
也在负荷的疲惫里
甩下了灵魂

最后
我们会像时针
在同一个
人生命盘里
看大家争分夺秒地
冲向你

却在
命运之手中
机械地
停摆
除了嘀嗒声
忘了还有什么
可以重温