2 Poems by Bian Zhilin

Fragment

You stand on the bridge watching scenery,
And the scenery watchers watch you from the tower.

The bright moon adorns your window,

And you adorn other people’s dreams.

No Title ( No. 5)

I express my gratitude in my walk,

The button hole is of use,

Because it’s void

Because it can be pinned with a little flower.

It dawns upon me when I pin a flower

That the world is void,

Because it’s of use,

Because it allows your walk.

[The editor's note:: The above work is selected from 300 New Chinese Poems (1917-2012), a Chinese-English college reader published by Poetry Pacific Press in October 2013.] 

About the author:

Bian Zhilin (1910—2000)，was a native of Haimen County, Jiangsu Province. In 1929, he was enrolled in English Department, Peking University. After 1940, he was a professor at Southwest United University,Nankai University and Peking University. His major works include Grass of Deep Autumn, A Collection of Fish’s Eyes, A Collection of Comforting Letters, Poem Drafts of Ten Years, A Record of Carving Insects (collections of poems). He had many translated works. And his Selected Poems of Bian Zhilin is known to the world.

                                                              （Tr. by Diablo）

卞之琳

断章

你站在桥上看风景，

看风景的人在楼上看你。

   

明月装饰了你的窗子，

你装饰了别人的梦。

无题（五）

我在散步中感谢，

襟眼是有用的，

因为是空的，

因为可以簪一朵小花。

我在簪花中恍然

世界是空的，

因为是有用的，

因为它容了你的款步。

作者简介：

卞之琳（1910—2000），江苏海门县人。1929年考入北京大学英文系。1940年后，历任西南联大、南开大学、北京大学教授。主要作品有：诗集《三秋草》、《鱼目集》、《慰劳信集》、《十年诗草》、《雕虫纪历》，译著多种。另有《卞之琳选集》行世。