與貓書

秀實


冬至之前，牠以死亡的儀式來與我告別
回想往日之情景我心裡極為悲痛

我記下牠最後的三十分鐘：先是從陽臺緩緩
爬進屋內。羸弱的身體已跳不上沙發
然後伏在墊子上，側身躺下來

牠稍微?頭看我，眸裡黯淡無光
在牠的頭與耳朵間來回撫摸時
牠輕輕閉上眼睛，然後睡著了

就這樣睡著了。黯淡的牆壁間留下了爪痕
風靜了，風鈴般的聲音仍在迴盪
這是牠唯一的傳世之作

書曰：倫常道德讓生命孤寂都是錯的
必要時在陰暗中尋找快樂的時光

（2020.12.15凌晨2:10香港婕樓。）

To My Cat
Xiu Shi

Prior to winter solstice, she bade farewell to me in a ritual of death
Brooding over the good old days we had, my heart aches inconceivably

I recall the last thirty minutes of her journey: slowly she crawled into the room
From the balcony. Already she was too weak to leap onto the sofa
She then rested on the soft floor pad, leaning on her side

She tilted her head and gave me a feeble glance, her eyes dull
I ran my hand up and down her forehead between the ears
When she gently closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep

And so she sleeps, leaving her claw marks on the dim partition walls
The wind subsides, still her calls reverberate like wind chimes
Her only magnum opus posthumously

Moral: ethics and social norms condemn one to a life of solitude, and that’s wrong
When necessary, seek pleasure under the cover of darkness

—translated by Yanwing Leung

 

與貓書

秀實


冬至之前，牠以死亡的儀式來與我告別
回想往日之情景我心裡極為悲痛

我記下牠最後的三十分鐘：先是從陽臺緩緩
爬進屋內。羸弱的身體已跳不上沙發
然後伏在墊子上，側身躺下來

牠稍微?頭看我，眸裡黯淡無光
在牠的頭與耳朵間來回撫摸時
牠輕輕閉上眼睛，然後睡著了

就這樣睡著了。黯淡的牆壁間留下了爪痕
風靜了，風鈴般的聲音仍在迴盪
這是牠唯一的傳世之作

書曰：倫常道德讓生命孤寂都是錯的
必要時在陰暗中尋找快樂的時光

（2020.12.15凌晨2:10香港婕樓。）

To My Cat
Xiu Shi

Prior to winter solstice, she bade farewell to me in a ritual of death
Brooding over the good old days we had, my heart aches inconceivably

I recall the last thirty minutes of her journey: slowly she crawled into the room
From the balcony. Already she was too weak to leap onto the sofa
She then rested on the soft floor pad, leaning on her side

She tilted her head and gave me a feeble glance, her eyes dull
I ran my hand up and down her forehead between the ears
When she gently closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep

And so she sleeps, leaving her claw marks on the dim partition walls
The wind subsides, still her calls reverberate like wind chimes
Her only magnum opus posthumously

Moral: ethics and social norms condemn one to a life of solitude, and that’s wrong
When necessary, seek pleasure under the cover of darkness

—translated by Yanwing Leung