老哈，原名李小庆，1960年生于中国成都，现定居美国内华达，以读诗、译诗、写诗为人生趣事。

Poet and translator. Under Chinese pen name Laoha, he translates and writes poems both in English and Chinese. He was born in China in 1960 and now lives in Northern Nevada, USA.

雪后过森林

Driving Through Forest after Snowstorm

黑黝黝的沥青路面
一个劲儿不停地向前
延伸，消失于视线尽头
白雪覆盖的密林。

高耸入云的松柏，本该
是来往交通的庇护神。
但即便是钻入
他们巨大的身影，

任何向路两旁的稍稍一瞥，
积雪有两部车高的情形，
也难免会让人
感到胆战心惊。

唯一的想法是尽快
摆脱这鬼地方的阴森，
赶在下一个暴风雪
还未能得以形成前。

终于来到了视线的尽头，
穿过白雪覆盖的密林，
眼前的情景
如同电脑屏幕刷新——

黑黝黝的沥青路面，还是
一个劲儿不停地向前延伸，
消失于视线尽头
白雪覆盖的密林。
			

The dark surface of asphalt highway 
Crawls vigorously forward and vanishes 
To the end of my sight where 
The snow covered forest is.      

The sky touching pine trees 
Supposedly are the guarding angels  
For the passing vehicles.  But       
Even under the shadows 

Of their gigantic figures, any look 
At the snow plied two car high 
On either side of the road 
Would make one frightened.  
 
The only thing in my mind 
Is to get the hell out of here     
Before the next storm 
Starts to hit. 

Through the snow covered forest, 
Finally arriving at the end of my sight, 
The scene ahead is just like 
Refreshing a computer screen,  

The dark surface of asphalt highway still 
Crawls vigorously forward and vanishes 
To the end of my sight where 
The snow covered forest is...
			

独自莫凭栏

Do Not Stay alone on the Rail

夜深时分，赌城
那些扑克桌上往往厮杀激烈，
似尘土飞扬。

看看，又来了！多好的一副牌，
结果输在最后那张
被称之为“江河”的牌上。

堆集如山的筹码，
刚刚推过来，现又被推到
赌桌的另一方。

一手提啤酒，一手夹烟头，
刚在这桌上输得精光的玩客
在扑克室外独自凭栏。

“独自莫凭栏，无限江山。”
刹那间，我脑海里闪过
李后主的名句。

不自觉，嘴里喃喃：
“故国不堪回首
月明中。”



注：李后主本是南唐皇帝，在位十五年。公元974年，
南唐为宋兵南下攻破，他被俘到汴京。三年后，李后
主四十二岁生日，宋太宗命人将他毒死，只因他写有
“故国不堪回首月明中”一词。
			

Deep into the night,  
poker games often get out of the dirt 
And are full of action. 

Here goes again, another good hand 
Gets beat on the river. Mountains of chips 
Are being shoveled around the table. 

A beer in one hand and a cigarette in another, 
Outside the poker room, the player just busted out 
Of this lively game stands alone on the rail. 

"Do not stay alone on the rail, 
There are endless rivers 
And countless mountains
Of the lost country. " 

Instantaneously I recall this poem 
By Li Houzhu and spontaneously 
Murmur another famous one of his: 

"How can one stand 
To look back at the lost country 
In moonlight."


Poet's Note: Li Houzhu, the emperor of Southern
Tang Dynasty, who lost his dynasty after 15 years
of ruling in 974 AD to the conquering Song Dynasty
and was taken as a prisoner of war. Three years later,
at his 42nd birthday, he died of poison by the order
of the ruling Song Dynasty emperor simply because he
wrote: "How can one stay to look back at the lost
country in moonlight."