Streets of Jogjakarta

 

日惹的街道上

she kneels upon the cool stone floor
她跪到涼爽的石頭地板上
in a room of the tin-roof hotel
在鐵皮屋頂酒店房間
packs her bag like she’s done before
包她的包裡,像她做過
with the hands of someone else
用別人的手
while a guitar’s first slow chords
而一把吉他的第一次慢和絃
come drifting through her open door
來漂流過她敞開的大門
saying things that words can’t tell
說無法用語言描述的東西

and then she wants to take a chance
然後她想要一個機會
on the swirling winds that dance
對旋流風起舞
through streets of jogjakarta
穿過日惹的街道

she takes her washing from the garden wall
她把她洗從花園的牆
hears voices echo down the lane
聽到聲音走進了小巷的回聲
as palm trees buckle in the hot noon squall
棕櫚樹扣在酷熱的中午颮
bringing dark clouds filled with rain
使黑暗的雲彩充滿了雨
over the houses and market stalls
在房屋及街市攤檔上面
the byways where for months she’s walked
她走過幾個月的地方的小路
but it’s only memory that stays the same
但這是只保持不變的記憶

and she gives away her plans
和她放棄她的計畫
to the swirling winds that dance
對旋流風起舞
through streets of jogjakarta
穿過日惹的街道

sweat coats your fret board, daylight stares
汗水大衣你的吉他憐, 夏時制的凝視
there’s tea and relaxed tales of places
放鬆的地方的故事
outside at the well she’s washing her hair
外面在井邊她正在洗她的頭髮
the sudden image of what grace is
是什麼恩典的突然形象
and while music draws pictures from the steamy air
而音樂繪製圖片從潮濕的空氣
all you see is her sitting there
你看到的就是她坐在那裡
dark hair falling across her face
落在她臉上的黑頭髮

and sometimes you might catch a glance
有時你可能趕上一瞥
seized on swirling winds that dance
抓住跳舞的旋風
through streets of jogjakarta
穿過日惹的街道

the rooftop thrums with rain
有雨的屋頂線頭
as she comes in to say goodbye
她進來說再見
calling you to go or stay
打電話給你是去還是留
like she once did in another time
像她曾經在另一個時間
and you track your strings to find it again
並且您跟蹤您的字串再次找到它
scattered words to a lost refrain
丟失的副歌的分散的說話
of steel wheels turning, the night train’s cry
鋼輪子轉動,晚上的火車哭泣

and then you want to take a chance
然後你想碰碰運氣
on the swirling winds that dance
對旋流風起舞
in hidden byways of her eyes
在隱藏她的眼睛的小徑上
following in a far-off trance
在遙遠的恍惚狀態中的以下
out to a window where high clouds fly
一扇窗戶,高高的雲層飛到哪裡去
in the last hotel before the sky
在最後一個酒店前天空

Pete Emptage & Max Ryan

Author: Pete Emptage & Max Ryan

Peter Henry Emptage was born near the Murray River at The Albury Base Hospital. He now lives in Melbourne working as a disability support worker, English teacher and musician. Some of the bands he plays in include: paddock (http://paddock.bandcamp.com/) where were you at lunch (http://wherewereyouatlunch.bandcamp.com), sweets (http://www.sweetsmusic.com/) hello satellites (http://www.hellosatellites.com/) hotel echo (http://www.heidieverett.com.au/) open swimmer (http://www.openswimmer.com/) He is currently chipping away at becoming a constant backyard gardener/real farmer and a translator of poetry into Mandarin, English and Spanish. Max Ryan is from Newcastle, on extended leave in northern NSW, his father’s country. Rainswayed Night won the 2005 Anne Elder Award. A chapbook Before the Sky was joint winner of the 2010 Picaro Poetry Prize. Before we lose each other again, his recording with Melbourne group Where Were You At Lunch, was launched at the 2012 Queensland Poetry Festival.