Five Transcreations by Joshua Ip
Joshua Ip is a Singaporean poet, editor and literary organiser. He has published six-ish poetry collections, edited eleven anthologies, and co-founded Sing Lit Station, an over-active literary charity. His latest book, translations to the tanglish (Math Paper Press, 2021) gathers contemporary and anachronistic translations of classical Tang/Song Dynasty poetry.
中秋节（对联）潘受
令节值中秋
经天如镜非新月
同声歌祖国
落地生根即故乡
为新加坡艺术中心提 – 潘受
日日推陈日日新
千姿万采见精神
海风山雨相呼唤
艺术都为一字真
临水 – 潘受
金马仑高原观物四首之二
临水照吾影
水流影自在
后水非前水
而影了无碍
吾身有新陈
陈谢则新代
惟性受诸天
狂奴吾故态
春望 – 杜甫
国破山河在，
城春草木深。
感时花溅泪，
恨别鸟惊心。
烽火连三月，
家书抵万金。
白头搔更短，
浑欲不胜簪。
笑忘書 by 王菲
詞： 林夕
没 没有蜡烛 就不用勉强庆祝
没 没想到答案 就不要寻找题目
没 没有退路 那我也不要散步
没 没人去仰慕 那我就继续忙碌
来 来 思前想后
差一点忘记了怎么投诉
来 来 从此以后
不要犯同一个错误
将 这样的感触
写一封情书 送给我自己
感动的要哭 很久没哭
不失为天大的幸福
将 这一份礼物
这一封情书 给自己祝福
可以不在乎 才能对别人在乎
有 一点帮助 就可以对谁倾诉
有 一个人保护 就不用自我保护
有 一点满足 就准备如何结束
有 一点点领悟 就可以往后回顾
来 来 思前想后
差一点忘记了怎么投诉
来 来 从此以后
不要犯同一个错误
将 这样的感触
写一封情书 送给我自己
感动的要哭 很久没哭
不失为天大的幸福
将 这一份礼物
这一封情书 给自己祝福
可以不在乎 才能对别人在乎
mid-autumn – joshua ip
this fete meets harvest moon
we face its mirror face – no mere new moon
and sing our nation’s soil
this land where the seed lands – springs forth fresh roots.
for the esplanade – joshua ip
daily re-revise, re-renew
throng shapes rife shades our spirit’s proof
sea breeze, hill drizzle meet and cheer
and all the art for one word – truth.
by the water – joshua ip
the second of four poems on touring the cameron highlands
the stream reflects. i, too.
it moves on. “i” do not.
then-stream is not now-stream
and i-in-stream’s unfraught.
i have selves old and new –
old sheds and new refines.
yet nature is my goddess
and limpeh is one kind…
views on jan 6 – joshua ip
an anachronistic translation
the house has fallen, but our gerrymandering holds the hills
fresh astroturf on the capitol lawn, this spring
i wear a poppy for today’s patriots – a crying shame
twitter’s new policies – shocking – i hate them
the midterm flame wars will drag on for a quarter
a letter from mar-a-lago worth a golden handshake
i count my few precious ginger hairs
barely enough for my tribute combover
the book of laughter and forgetting – joshua ip
partially homophonic translation, intended to rhyme with the original
no candles I blew, no celebrations ensue
no sense of an answer, no questions need be pursued
no back avenue, no need to amble on through
no, no one to look to, dancing one man’s do-si-do
by and by, now and ago
can’t recall how to raise hullabaloo
by and by, henceforth and so
never revisit this issue
come this dark deja vu
i’ll write a haiku and mail it to me
no one to cry to or reply to
reticence is its own virtue
come the presents accrue
each new billet-doux my birthday revue
when where or why who i’ll know who i say hi to
with help and hulloo then i’d know who to turn to
with someone to rescue there’d be no need for a coup
with hunger subdued ready the ending’s debut
with knowledge continued then i can look back anew
try, try, back and before
summon the drums and begin the tattoo
try, try, forevermore
don’t let them make mistakes for you
come these feelings are true
i’ll write a review and mail it to me
no one to outdo or come out to
better to hurt than to seem to
come leave this residue
leave your retinue for fate’s rendezvous
till you care not why who what when how you say hi to