While the three week-long occupation of Taiwan’s legislature may be coming to an end, emotions behind the protests linger in poems, some of which, including Huang Huang-Chin’s “Imagine One Day,” have been translated into English. From the 中国大好き blog:
imagine many years later
can we still watch japanese cartoons
imagine letters we might receive
maybe with contents crossed out in red
imagine we could answer in peace
curious questions from our childrenI will tell them about tonight
concise and in detail
so they can swiftly run to any crowded stageI will tell them
peace is short-lived
struggle is constant
come on, go now
on this island
find your comrades
keep your loved ones
build your dream house
look for the nation of your idealsraise all the flags
light every lamp
shout out your pursuits
warm winds will blow
coconuts sway
students, policemen sleeping together
rain will keep falling
till you wake up to a dry dayTr. MW, Apr. 2014 [Source]
Click through for the original Chinese. Also read English translations of Chuan Fang Chang’s “Civic Education,” and Hung Hung’s “Rain Washing the Streets,” both via 中国大好き. “A Song for the Violent Protesters,” another poem by Taiwanese artist Hung Hung, appears in translation at Global Voices.
Read more about the 2014 protests in Taiwan via CDT.
