05.23.08

Mourning in Sichuan

Posted in News at 9:11 am by Nicole

A friend sent me a copy of a poem that is making its way around the Internet about the Sichuan earthquake, written in Chinese by an unknown author and translated by a Toronto-based earthquake engineer named Alex Tang. As much coverage as the earthquake has gotten in the States – including a PSA by Yao Ming being broadcast during the NBA playoffs and lots of national coverage, with many papers having sent journalists to the region – it’s still next to impossible to get a sense of the tragedy on this side of the ocean (I’m writing from the U.S. right now). This poem really speaks to the pain of the families who have lost children in the quake. My prayers go out to them.

孩子 （Child)
å¿« (Hurry up)

抓紧妈妈的手 (Tightly hold your Mom’s hand)

去天堂的路 (The road to heaven)
太黑了 (is too dark)

妈妈怕你 (Mom is afraid that)
碰了头 (you hit your head)

å¿« (Hurry up)

抓紧妈妈的手 (Tightly hold your Mom’s hand)

让妈妈陪你走 (Let Mom keep you company)

妈妈 (Mom)
怕 (I am afraid)

天堂的路 (The road to heaven)
太黑 (is too dark)

我看不见你的手 (I cannot see your hand)
自从 (since)
倒塌的墙 (the wall collapsed)

把阳光夺走 (it took the sun light away)

我再也看不见 (I cannot see )
你柔情的眸 (your lovely eyes again)

孩子 (Child)
你走吧 (You can go)

前面的路 (the road in front of you)
再也没有忧愁 (has no sorrow any more)

没有读不完的课本 (there are no books that you cannot finish reading)

和爸爸的拳头 (and your father’s fist)
你要记住 (you have to remember)
我和爸爸的摸样 (my face and your father’s face)

来生还要一起走 (let’s finish walking this road together in our next life)

妈妈 (Mom)
别担忧 (do not worry)

天堂的路有些挤 (the road to heaven is a bit crowded)

有很多同学朋友 (I have a lot classmates and friends)
我们说 (we all say)

不哭 (don’t cry)

哪一个人的妈妈都是我们的妈妈 (anyone’s Mom is our Mom)

哪一个孩子都是妈妈的孩子 (any child is Mom’s child)

没有我的日子 (the days without me)

你把爱给活的孩子吧 (give your love to the children alive)

妈妈 (Mom)

你别哭 (don’t cry)
泪光照亮不了 (tears cannot light up the road)
我们的路 (our road)

让我们自己 (let us)
慢慢的走 (walk slowly)

妈妈 (Mom)

我会记住你和爸爸的模样 (I will remember your face and father’s face)
记住我们的约定 (remember our appointment)
来生一起走 (of walking together in our next life)

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