Chinese language translation by Poetry Lab Shanghai

It is nothing short of a thrill to have my anti-war poem, ‘Heart Of Power‘, translated into the Chinese Language by the Poetry Lab Shanghai. I’m very excited by the idea that my work could be read in a different language, opening it up to new audiences. The poem is a very simple one, written in a wistfully ironic and reflective tone about the historic narrative of war and conquest, and contrasting this with the stark and tragic cost of conflict. In spite of such cost, there always seems to be someone in the world who will persist with that narrative and claim that warfare, to conquer and subjugate, is a glorious thing. You can read the poem (in both Chinese and English!) in the Summer ’22 Issue of Poetry Lab Shanghai.

‘Heart of Power’ (Chinese Translation, copyright Poetry Lab Shanghai 2022):

嗜权之心

翻译：诗验室


啊！我们怎么就造了如此之帝国！


那些被我们

夷为平地的村镇，

有嗜权者们

放荡不羁的狂热。


啊！我们怎么就燃起了如此一把火！


熊熊烈火中

愈烧愈旺的野心，

而灰烬之中

无人知晓的姓名。


啊！如此之帝国怎么就被我们造出来了呢！


无辜儿女

血溅四方，

反倒痛快，

清清白白。


天！他们竟然还贪得无厌，

甚至昭告天下，

督促人们，


必须永远缔造这样的帝国。


Sam Bartle 的作品曾被收入

By Sam Bartle