居此二十年
尸林夕照景 近鄰
邇來散步屢造訪
埋骨園丁咸熟識
日前對話忽興念
敢問地下有幾人
工頭堆土四十年
所埋棺木無從計
願代查詢答此問
今朝入園適值彼
一紙詳列老鄰數
今年此月首日止
共計六萬五百九十一
此數逐日增
吾命逐日長
命數與此數
終究有盡時
二○○七年十一月五日
養和齋 於加州
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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
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