Zheng Min: Death of a Poet # 1 (From Chinese)

From Death of a Poet (Poem 1 of 19)
By Zheng Min
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

Who is it, who is it who's
the one whose mighty fingers break
This winter day's narcissus, make
the white juice ooze

out of jade green and scallion-white stems?
Who is it, who is it
Who is it whose mighty fist
shattered this elegant antique vase to bits?

Who makes the juice of life
gush from the breast?
The narcissus is withering

Destruction of the illusions of a new wife
is the hand that makes a life
taking back a song with more to sing

The Original:

是谁，是谁　　　　　　Shì shéi, shì shéi
是谁的有力的手指　　　shì shéi de yǒulì de shóuzhǐ
折断这冬日的水仙　　　zhéduàn zhè dōngrì de shuǐxiān
让白色的汁液溢出　　　ràng báisè de zhīyè yìchū

翠绿的，葱白的茎条？　cuìlǜ de, cōngbái de jīng tiáo?
是谁，是谁　　　　　　Shì shéi, shì shéi
是谁的有力的拳头　　　shì shéi de yǒulì de quántóu
把这典雅的古瓶砸碎　　bǎ zhè diányǎ de gǔ píng zá suì

让生命的汁液　　　　　ràng shēngmìng de zhīyè
喷出他的胸膛　　　　　pēn chū tā de xiōngtáng
水仙枯萎　　　　　　　shuǐxiān kūwěi

新娘幻灭　　　　　　　xīnniáng huànmiè
是那创造生命的手掌　　shì nà chuàngzào shēngmìng de shóuzhǎng
又将没有唱完的歌索回　yòu jiāng méiyǒu chàng wán de gē suǒ huí