星　夜

星夜偶抬眼，

此非吾家天？

故鄉萬里外，

兒時千年前。

久未閒顧盼，

更鮮向上看。  

今日長注視，

不禁淚落衫。

憶昔夏夜裡，

常棲外婆膝。

吾母搖扇護，

阿姨環坐弼。

小星時眨眼，

姨為教謡諺。

頑星偶流竄，

母為吟詩篇。

星或成形體，

婆為講神奇。

月常有圓缺，

另姨釋物理。

我知婆作古，

二姨避此處。

苦不知親母，

仍否故居住。

伊應亦作婆，

崇孫膝上臥。

可得女兒陪？

能有閒情坐？

吾妹又何如？

是否均為母？

各配給何人？

能否免受辱？

家園又如何？

青山與碧野。  

幽美仍如昔？

禾香共蟋樂。

星月可清明？

氣候亦如恆？

受否赤塵擾？

有否烏煙蒙？

英文原詩附後

並請批評指正

                            The Starry Night

I happen to raise my face toward the sky on a starry summer night.

Are these not the same sky and stars over my original home yard?

Those in my childhood, they were hundreds, thousands of years ago.

That of my native country, we are millions, billions of miles apart.

I seldom have interest / intention now to look at unimportant things,

especially lack of infatuation / inclination to look up high;

but, this time I happen to look at the sky, and stars, long and hard,

happy memories surge in my heart, sad tears, in my eyes.

I used to rest comfortably in my grandmother’s lap,

with my mother and aunts sat and chatted at our sides;

when we cooled ourselves in our middle house yard,

usually until very late on such a beautiful summer nights.

Oftentimes twinkling stars winked to tease us,

my young aunt would teach me nursery songs like tuneful chimes.

Sometimes shooting stars streaked to please us,

my mother would recite to me lyric poems with beautiful rhymes.

Constantly the moon changed its shape and locations,

another aunt would explain the solar system’s movement and its light.

Curiously some stars displayed some forms or patterns,

Grandma would tell the story of “The Farmer-boy and His Weaver-wife”.

I know my two aunts have long escaped to live here in Taiwan,   

Grandma is also free and now living easefully in heaven; 

but where is, how is, my dear -- dearest mother now?

Is she still on earth, in our house, in good health?

Is my mother now also a grandmother,

patting and petting her grand child;

with my sisters, her own daughters, 

sitting and chatting at their sides?

How are, and where are, my little sisters now?

Are they all married, and have their own -- only child?

To whom are they married, or forcefully matched?

Do they love each other?  Are they nice, or vicious guys?                 

How are our houses, yards, hills and fields now?

How are those pastures and woods at the riverside?

Still as beautiful and peaceful as years before,

full of music of insects and fragrance of rice?

How are the sky and stars over my former home, right now?

And the air, the climate, over that side, on such a night?

Still as clear, wide, bright; as fresh, gentle and warm;

free from political disturbance, and pollutive blight?