This time it’s a reader contribution. My former co-worker snapped this poem on the MRT and sent it to me. The poem was written by Chuang Tsu-huang (莊祖煌 pinyin: Zhuang Zuhuang) who goes under the pen-name Bai Ling (白靈). He was born in Taipei’s Wanhua District in 1951 to a family from Fujian in China. After studying chemistry in Taiwan and teaching for a while, he went to the US to study a master’s at the Stevens Institute of Technology. He is currently a professor at National Taipei University of Technology and at one time took part in a grassroots poetry collective, including a period as the editor of a grassroots poetry publication. He has won a plethora of prizes for his poetry.
不如歌 Better a Song
平靜的無,不如抓狂的有
Better a manic something over a tranquil nothing
坐等升溫的露珠,不如捲熱而逃的淚水
Better a tear bubbled up in heat over a dewdrop awaiting the warmth
猛射亂放的箭矢,不如挺出紅心的箭靶
Better to land the bullseye than to loose an arrow in haste
養鴿子三千,不如擁老鷹一隻
Better a single eagle than to raise three thousand doves
被吻,不如被啄
Better to be pecked, than to be kissed
猛射亂放的箭矢,不如挺出紅心的箭靶
Judged from the original poem, which the author proclaims “Better to be fierce than poor-spirited”, literally it might mean “BETTER TO POP OUT A RED HEART TO BE AN ARCHERY TARGET …..”
But what means better “to land the bullseye” ? I might have mistaken since English is not my mother tongue.
Please verify with your friend.
The bullseye is the center of an archerty target.
It is “to land” confused me …. To ” set up” or “to display” is what you meant? But the author seems willing to be targeted? That is crazy and untruthful !! Or his prose makes nonsense.
After all, it is a poem. The author may imply arrow for love.