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第19章 Lullaby

—A tribute to the mothers of the Yi people

The proud falcons that hover high in the sky

Need at times take a rest on the ground;

The leopards that lurk in the wilderness

May experience moments of fatigue;

So the son of the mother

You may now go soundly asleep;

(An affectionate arm

Extending all the way from that place of warmth

Caresses the heavy forehead of the bard

Casting down an apparition as tranquil as the moonlight)

The turtle doves that fly freely in the sky

Sometimes need to stop to rest;

The river deer that roam the land

Sometimes need to halt their steps;

So the son of the mother

You may now go soundly asleep;

(It is said that the fabulous legends

Are combed into the braids of young girls;

And the games leave the dreams outside the door

Before it gets dark)

The wild geese that cover long distances in the sky

Need to take some sleep;

The hounds busy tracking their prey on the ground

Need to take a nap every now and then;

So the son of the mother

You may now go soundly asleep;

(The thunder claps, feeble and indistinct in the distance,

Are lingering remembrances of affection

While the trails could no longer comprehend

The cravings beyond the rainy season)

The sun in the sky

Has to set at the end of the day;

The fire that burns in the pit on the ground

May eventually goes out;

So the son of the mother

You may now go soundly asleep;

(When you wake up the next morning

You will grow into an awesome warrior;

But should your beloved mother

Bid eternal farewell to you and to this world

Please make no painstaking efforts to seek her out

Because she is everywhere

In this territory of blackish land)

The moon that shines brightly in the sky

May sometimes be eclipsed and out of sight;

The rivers that flow murmuring on the ground

May sometimes become mute and silent;

So the son of the mother

You may now go soundly asleep;

(The night has already become starry

While the faint purple wind in the dale

Has already vanished without a trace;

Only the palpable soul

Can taste the silent melancholy)