Suppose

Suppose birds should fly in now,
But they are not yet seen.
Why is the wood so patiently keen?
In the North Mountain there is a net.
Maybe it is stretched, isn't it yet?①

Suppose it is already gloomy in my hometown,
And there comes rain drops shooting at people.
My country folk that are running in the rain
Are still thinking about the sunny days in the future?

Suppose the rooster is itching to crow,
But it keeps silent.

The timid children would go panic.
Mom, has the weasel come?

Suppose Spring has learn to cheat,
Then the earth would say: this is not spring.
The hoe would go rusty,
The exploiter would carry away his prophesy of harvest.

At dawn of May 21, 1979 When Kunming was still covered by the night curtain.
Note: ancient ballad:There is a bird in South Mountainand inthe North Mountain a net is stretched open. The bird flies high and the net remains idle.

假如

作者:公劉

假如小鳥應該飛來，
偏偏卻不見它飛來，
樹林為甚么還耐心等待？
北山有羅，也許已經張開？①

假如我的家鄉天色陰暗，
而且射來了砸人的雨點，
我那雨中奔跑的鄉親喲，
是否你在默想未來的晴天？

假如雄雞渴望歌唱，
卻又偏偏噤聲不響，

膽怯的孩子就難免驚慌：
媽媽，是不是來了黃鼠狼？

假如春天也學會了欺騙，
那么大地就會說：這不是真的春天；
鋤頭將生銹，
拓荒者將帶走收獲的預言。

1979年5月21日 絕早，昆明城猶在夜色朦朧中。
[註]：①古謠：“南山有鳥，北山張羅；鳥自高飛，羅當奈何？”