老邻居之数　林钰堂

居此二十年
尸林夕照景　近邻
迩来散步屡造访

埋骨园丁咸熟识
日前对话忽兴念
敢问地下有几人

工头堆土四十年
所埋棺木无从计
愿代查询答此问

今朝入园适值彼
一纸详列老邻数
今年此月首日止
共计六万五百九十一

此数逐日增
吾命逐日长
命数与此数
终究有尽时

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　二○○七年十一月五日
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　养和斋　　　　于加州

---

The Number of My Old Neighbors

---

The Number of My Old Neighbors　Yutang Lin

Lived here for over twenty years
Cemetery Sunset View close by
Recently I strolled into it regularly

Gardeners who bury bones all became acquaintances
The other day during conversation the thought came
Do you happen to know how many are buried here

The head worker had piled earth here for forty years
The number of coffins he buried, he couldn't count
But willing to inquire for the answer to this asking

Today as I entered the park he happened to be there
On one sheet of paper the number of old neighbors written
Up to the first day of this month of this year
The total is sixty thousand five hundred and ninety-one

This number will increase as days go by
My life will be lengthened as days go by
Both the days of my life and this number
Eventually will reach the time of its ending

Written in Chinese and translated on November 5, 2007
El Cerrito, California

---

[Home][Back to list][The Number of My Old Neighbors]