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Poems on the MRT

夜调 / Nocturne by Ang Lai Sheng

 

夜调
孤星子

夜调

夜幕背后静下
星斗摇摇而欲坠
像灯火悬挂
门前
小毛虫正酣睡着暝夜

走廊上拂拂轻风
徐徐般徜徉
市夜，真的静了
连风儿微语都那样清晰

地籁奏起
滚滚着红尘，洒脱
驰骋都市的梦
斑斓晃亮，活力看似沉寂

寂寞的街灯
站立着朴实而安稳
懂得守候，懂得付出
却惯原地踏步

这样的街道
这样的夜
倘若撩起三两件往事
也情有可原

城里
只要醉过一夜，会知道
云朵才是归宿

Nocturne
Written by Ang Lai Sheng
Translated by Shelly Bryant

behind the veil of night, all grows still

stars waver, ready to fall

like lanterns hanging

at the door

a small caterpillar sleeps soundly in the dark night

a gentle breeze sweeps through the corridor

slowly wandering

the city night, all quiet now

even the soft whispers of the wind

all clear

the earth’s music begins to play

rolling through this mortal dust, carefree

racing through the city’s dreams

vibrant lights flicker, its energy at rest

lonely streetlights

stand, simple and steady

knowing how to wait, knowing how to give

but used to marking time

on such streets

on such a night

if a few old memories are stirred

surely you’d understand

in the city

anyone who has been intoxicated
even for just one night
will know –

the clouds are where we truly belong

Published in 喧嚣过后 (2014)

Ang Lai Sheng (1987-), is a Singaporean writer, poet, translator, publisher and columnist. He is also the current CEO & Editor-in-Chief of TrendLit Publishing Private Limited (Singapore), and a leading figure in the industry. Ang’s literary works, essays, reviews and interviews of him are featured on literary journals and newspapers across Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. He is also a columnist with Lianhe Zaobao.

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Poems on the MRT is an initiative by the National Arts Council, in partnership with SMRT and Stellar Ace. Produced by Sing Lit Station, a local literary non-profit organisation, this collaboration displays excerpts of Singapore poetry throughout SMRT’s train network, integrating local literature into the daily experience of commuters. Look out for poems in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil in trains on the East-West, North-South and Circle Lines, as well as videos created by local artists and featuring local poets in stations and on trains. The Chinese, Malay, and Tamil poems are available in both the original languages and English. To enjoy the full poems, commuters may read them on go.gov.sg/potm.

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