Lou Zhong 蝼冢

The Other Kind of Death Certificate (Selected Translations)
《另类死契》选译

2. Ghost 《鬼》

While it’s dark and nobody’s here, I came to see you.
It’s really dark and there was not even a single star.
I dug up the coffin and found out that I was in sound sleep.
Seeing your coming, I got up and took over the liquor bottle.
We drinking to each other until it’s six o’clock in the morning
without saying a single words.
You stuffed some dirt into your mouth to go with the drink,
And got choked and spilled drink all over my face.

Then out of the blue, you asked me how old I am.
So I reminded you about that scar on your neck.
Oh, you said, we died in the same day
beheaded by the Devil Head Chopper.
You must made a crispy sound that same day.
Let me take you out. No. I want to lie here to eat offerings
of cold food for seven evenings.
They’ll all come to do the memorial ceremony for me,
to burn the money paper for me,
and my children and grandchildren
Not quite, all of them are your sons
Once I get out I’ll be a ghost. You are now a ghost.
The one not talking was me.

I saw your skin falling down piece by piece
You are starting to show your bones, you must be drunk,
hurry up lie down, the rooster is crowing.
After I fixed the last pile of the dirt on the tomb
I found a woman, an early riser to fetch water,
standing behind me, Mother?

Translated by Laoha, 1/2/2004

3. Mother 《母亲》

Long time ago and from a faraway place
I came. In your room I rested for ten months
You knew I didn’t have any characteristics of a man

They all said I would not a good son
But I was clear that you would not say that
You knew a secret only between you and me

I came out of your room kept talking rubbish
They all said I was not speaking human language, but you knew
Every single word I said had a profound meaning

Indeed, I never speaking human language
You never said, as they would, that you were a pot of soil
And I was that flower. But you said in the night dark as the black paint

I was that lily growing downside up in the air, my soil was in the sky
And nobody understood. Because everyone was born by a mother
But I was not. I came from a faraway place

I am leaving now, knowing that you will not feel sad
I am going back to where I came from, it’s a long journey
The same as when I came, and then I will passed through your room again

Translated by Laoha, 1/1/2004