Believe in the Future
by Shi Zhi
When cobwebs relentlessly clog my stove,
When its dying smoke sighs for poverty,
I will stubbornly ①dig out the disappointing ashes,
And write with beautiful snowflakes: Believe in the Future.
When my overripe grapes melt into late autumn dew,
When my fresh flower lies in another’s arms,
I will stubbornly write on the bleak earth,
With a dry frozen vine: Believe in the Future.
I ②point to the waves billowing in the distance,
I want to be the sea that holds the sun in its palm,
Take hold of the beautiful warm pen of the dawn,
And write with a child-like hand: Believe in the Future.
The reason why I believe so resolutely in the future is:
I believe in the eyes of the future’s people,
Their eyelashes that can brush away the ash of history,
Their pupils that can see through the texts of time.
③It doesn’t matter whether people shed contrite tears,
For our rotten flesh, or our hesitancy, or the bitterness of our failure,
Whether they view us with sneers or deep-felt sympathy,
Or scornful smiles or pungent satire.
I firmly believe that people will judge our spines,
And our endless explorations, losses, failures and successes,
With an enthusiastic, objective and fair evaluation.
Yes, I await their judgement anxiously
Friends, please let us believe in the future
Believe in our unbending striving
Believe in our youth that can conquer death
Believe in the Future: believe in Life.
