So she stopped singing

於是她不再歌唱

Dedicated to the year 2022
獻給2022年
xiàn gěi 2022 nián
Dedicated to the poet Bei Dao
獻給詩人北島
xiàn gěi shī rén běi dǎo

On such a night
在這樣一個夜裡
zài zhè yàng yī gè yè lǐ
Life that struggles until late at night
抗爭到深夜的生命
kàng zhēng dào shēn yè de shēng mìng
Begins to wither
開始凋零
kāi shǐ diāo líng
In places unseen
在看不見的地方
zài kàn bù jiàn de dì fāng
Utters faint sighs
發出微弱的嘆息
fā chū wēi ruò de tàn xī
On such a night
在這樣一個夜裡
zài zhè yàng yī gè yè lǐ
Who has blindfolded her eyes
她被誰蒙上了眼睛
tā bèi shéi méng shàng le yǎn jīng
With nowhere to send
無處投遞
wú chù tóu dì
Words that cannot be considered letters
算不得信的言語
suàn bù dé xìn de yán yǔ
Shatter completely in the rain
徹底碎落在雨裡
chè dǐ suì luò zài yǔ lǐ

Thus
於是
yú shì
She uses silence as her armor
她用沈默做自己的武裝
tā yòng chén mò zuò zì jǐ de wǔ zhuāng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She no longer sings
她不再歌唱
tā bù zài gē chàng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She uses silence as her baggage
她用沈默做自己的行囊
tā yòng chén mò zuò zì jǐ de xíng náng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She no longer sings
她不再歌唱
tā bù zài gē chàng

(Perhaps the final moment has arrived)
(也許最後的時刻到了)
(yě xǔ zuì hòu de shí kè dào le
(I have left no will)
(我沒有留下遺囑)
wǒ méi yǒu liú xià yí zhǔ
(Only a pen, for my mother)
(只留下筆, 給我的母親)
zhǐ liú xià bǐ, gěi wǒ de mǔ qīn
(I am not a hero)
(我並不是英雄)
wǒ bìng bù shì yīng xióng
(In an era without heroes)
(在沒有英雄的年代裡)
zài méi yǒu yīng xióng de nián dài lǐ
(I just want to be a person)
(我只想做一個人)
wǒ zhǐ xiǎng zuò yī gè rén.)

On such a night
在這樣一個夜裡
zài zhè yàng yī gè yè lǐ
Walls full of poetry and books are burned to ashes
滿牆詩書被火燃盡
mǎn qiáng shī shū bèi huǒ rán jìn
The classical phrases
之乎者也
zhī hū zhě yě
Or emotions of love and hate
或愛與恨的情緒
huò ài yǔ hèn de qíng xù
This fire is invisible yet powerful
這火無形 卻有力
zhè huǒ wú xíng què yǒu lì
On such a night
在這樣一個夜裡
zài zhè yàng yī gè yè lǐ
Truth and falsehood, black and white, are indistinguishable
真假黑白都辨不清
zhēn jiǎ hēi bái dōu biàn bù qīng
Forgetting oneself
忘了自己
wàng le zì jǐ
Abandoning the right to question
放棄追問的權利
fàng qì zhuī wèn de quán lì
Seems to be the only way to survive
似乎才能活下去
sì hū cái néng huó xià qù
Thus
於是
yú shì
She uses silence as her armor
她用沈默做自己的武裝
tā yòng chén mò zuò zì jǐ de wǔ zhuāng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She no longer sings
她不再歌唱
tā bù zài gē chàng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She uses silence as her baggage
她用沈默做自己的行囊
tā yòng chén mò zuò zì jǐ de xíng náng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She no longer sings
她不再歌唱
tā bù zài gē chàng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She uses silence as her armor
她用沈默做自己的武裝
tā yòng chén mò zuò zì jǐ de wǔ zhuāng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She no longer sings
她不再歌唱
tā bù zài gē chàng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She uses silence as her baggage
她用沈默做自己的行囊
tā yòng chén mò zuò zì jǐ de xíng náng
Thus
於是
yú shì
She no longer sings
她不再歌唱
tā bù zài gē chàng

(The tranquil horizon)
寧靜的地平線
(níng jìng de dì píng xiàn
(Separates the ranks of the living and the dead)
分開了生者和死者的行列
fēn kāi le shēng zhě hé sǐ zhě de xíng liè
(I can only choose the sky)
我只能選擇天空
wǒ zhǐ néng xuǎn zé tiān kōng
(Never kneel on the ground)
決不跪在地上
jué bù guì zài dì shàng
(To highlight the executioners' stature)
以顯出劊子手們的高大
yǐ xiǎn chū guì zǐ shǒu men de gāo dà
(To block the wind of freedom)
好阻擋自由的風
hǎo zǔ dǎng zì yóu de fēng
(From the bullet holes of the stars)
從星星的彈孔里
cóng xīng xīng de dàn kǒng lǐ
(Will flow a blood-red dawn)
將流出血紅的黎明
jiāng liú chū xuè hóng de lí míng)