Hsia Yü reads “Now These Objects Will Move By Themselves”

 

Every time you get to thinking this time doesn’t count

Every time you come to feel this one now isn’t real

The air is shot with the sound of silk ripping

You run inside as fast you are able to

Hide yourself

 

Peeking through a crack

Softly say: “Next time, OK.”

 

Just as everything begins to happen you become conscious

Your consciousness is taking the happening

Out of what’s happening

But for that one day someday you are able to say:

“Well, actually . . .”

Or maybe

“Once . . .”

 

Every time you find yourself earnestly believing:

“Next time will count far more than this time.”

 

Which is strictly speaking

The next time of the next time

 

Or the next time preparing to rush out

You shout:

“Doesn’t count!”

 

Just as you think of making these objects move by themselves

On account of the fact you’re beginning to fidget

Sure enough it all begins to happen

And so we see

A chair moving towards us all by itself

“Still doesn’t count.”

You say ever so languidly:

“Even that doesn’t count doesn’t count.”

 

 

translated from the Chinese by Steve Bradbury

 

***

 

夏宇

 

(TRADITIONAL CHINESE)

 

令物體自行移動

 

每次都以為這次不算
每次都以為現在的都不是真的
空氣中一塊絲綢割裂的聲音
用最快速度跑進去
躲起來

 

從縫裡偷看
小聲地說：「下一次好不好？」

 

當一切都在發生而被意識到
這意識就把發生
從發生中剔除
但為了日後可以說：
「其實⋯⋯」
或者說：
「曾經⋯⋯」

 

每一次都鄭重地想：
「下一次一定遠比這一次算數。」

 

從而定義出的
下次的下次

 

還是準備衝出去的下次
大聲說：
「不算。」

 

想讓那些物體自行移動
因為不耐煩
果然也就發生了
大家於是看見
一張椅子自行到來
「還是不算。」
懨懨地說：
「連這個不算也不算。」

 

***

(SIMPLIFIED CHINESE)

 

令物体自行移动

 

每次都以为这次不算
每次都以为现在的都不是真的
空气中一块丝绸割裂的声音
用最快速度跑进去
躲起来

 

从缝里偷看
小声地说：「下一次好不好？」

 

当一切都在发生而被意识到
这意识就把发生
从发生中剔除
但为了日后可以说：
「其实⋯⋯」
或者说：
「曾经⋯⋯」

 

每一次都郑重地想：
「下一次一定远比这一次算数。」

 

从而定义出的
下次的下次

 

还是准备冲出去的下次
大声说：
「不算。」

 

想让那些物体自行移动
因为不耐烦
果然也就发生了
大家于是看见
一张椅子自行到来
「还是不算。」
恹恹地说：
「连这个不算也不算。」

 

***

 

HSIA YÜ is the author and designer of six volumes of groundbreaking verse, most recently Poems, Sixty of Them (2011). “Now These Objects Will Move By Themselves” is from her fourth collection, Salsa, which first appeared in 1999. She lives in Taiwan, where she co-edits the avant-garde journal and poetry initiative Xianzai Shi, otherwise known as Poetry Now. A full translation of Salsa, translated by Steve Bradbury, has just been released from Zephyr Press.

 

STEVE BRADBURY lives in Taiwan. Among his more collections of Chinese poetry in translation, His Days Go By the Way Her Years, a chapbook of poems by the Taiwanese poet Ye Mimi, was shortlisted for this year’s Best Translated Book Award hosted by Three Percent.

 

 

“Now These Objects Will Move By Themselves” originally appeared in Asymptote.