You bid farewell to your parents with bitterness

Farewell to the hometown where you’ve grown

Take the compass and set foot on the boat,

Sailing into the distance in the flames of war

– Who knows what destinations you’ll head onto?

Walking into the dilapidated village,

I caught a glimpse of an old man in the corner

Putting a stick of incense in front of a yellowed portrait

Praying silently to heaven

May the best wishes be with his beloved child

The lantern hangs high, the dragon dances and flies,

But this is no longer the hometown

You say, wherever you go, wherever you root

But in the quiet night,

Who is trembling by the window,

Shedding tears but unable to cry?

Who is sitting silently by the lake,

Raising the head from time to time,

Hoping to see him back again?

The vicissitudes of the years,

Took away the magnificent palaces,

Took away the immortal kings

Yet the moonlight

Shall forever shine

On your face

and on the land of your hometown

唐人街

你带着苦涩告别了父母
告别了养育你的故乡
拿着罗盘，踏上小舟，
在战火中驶向远方
——谁知道你究竟去了何方？

走进残破的村庄，
总能瞥见角落里的老人，
在泛黄的画像前插上一炷香
默默地祈求上天
将最好的祝福
送去那不知名的地方

灯笼高挂，龙舞飞腾，
可这里已不是了故乡
你说，到了哪里，就在哪里落根
可在悄悄的夜里，
是谁在湖边默默地盼望
是谁在窗边为记挂而颤抖，
一次次为你忧伤？

岁月的沧桑，
带走了富丽堂皇的宫阙，
带走了延命万岁的君王
亘古的月光
却依然照耀在
你的脸上，
和家乡的大地上

2021年8月25日于福州

背景：
走进宁德乡下的村庄，看到家家户户桌子上都供着个画像，问后知画像是上世纪家里无力供养，不得不背井离乡的子女，自那以后音信全无。见那悠久的画像，有感而写此诗