Tan Chee Lay 陈志锐 (b. 1973)
SELECTED POEMS
有时勇气教会我
有时勇气教会我
要背对世界
甚至让所有人的眼光让我的背脊发麻
毛发直竖
我仍然要紧紧攫住那一丁点的勇气
至少让人们
看不出一丁点
懦弱的端倪
是的有时
勇气教会我要背对世界
让不受欢迎的信仰
有看见广阔的可能
让所谓的眼界
有伸展出去的希望
让我深信的一切
不要被过多的人声与头颅
所阻挡
是的，勇气教会我有时
甚至要转过身
与世界为敌
即使是与 整 个
舆论可以轻似鸿毛
不可重如泰山
旁观的冷眼或者纷纷之议论
都应该是路过无痕的风
给你一丝泼冷水的冰
然后
就无声无息
所以，勇气教会我
远方更伟大的敌人
仍在远方
在一个
甚至众人都不见之处
甚至众人仍未知之时
只能先天下
然后才可
后天下
所以有不得不
的当下造一个我们适应的
世界
by Tan Chee Lay 陈志锐
from Lianhe Zaobao (30 Jan 2026)
At Times, Bravery Will Teach Me
At times, bravery will teach me
that I must turn away from the world
even to let the gaze of many make my spine tingle
my hairs stand on end
I must still hold tightly to that sliver of courage
such that they will not even
discern the slightest trace
of cowardiceYes, at times
bravery will teach me that I must turn my back to the world
to let unwelcome beliefs
experience the possibility of seeing beyond limitation
so that these spoken-of horizons
can hold to the hope of reaching outward
so that all that I hold dearly
does not find in too many voices, too many heads,
a blockageYes, bravery will teach me at times
that I must even turn around
and stand against the world
even if it means facing an entirety
public opinion can be light as a feather
never as heavy as Mount Tai
the frosty stares of bystanders or the flurry of debate
should be like wind passing without a trace
giving you a splash of cold water
before
vanishing without a soundTherefore, bravery will teach me
that a greater enemy is further away
still in the place
that even the crowd cannot see
that even the multitude cannot perceive
it is only by being concerned before the world is
concerned, that one can
be joyous after the world is joyous
therefore, there is the world’s inescapable
present.
by Tan Chee Lay 陈志锐
translated from the Chinese by Jonathan Chan
from Lianhe Zaobao (30 Jan 2026)
