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© by Bei Dao (b. 1949)
Translation by Chen Maiping (b. 1952)

and the dead
 (Sung text for setting by L. Lim)
 Matches base text
Language: English  after the Chinese (中文) 
Debasement is the password of the base,
Nobility the epitaph of the noble.
See how the gilded sky is covered
With the drifting twisted shadows of the dead.

The Ice Age is over now,
Why is there ice everywhere?
The Cape of Good Hope has been discovered,
Why do a thousand sails contest the Dead Sea?

I came into this world
Bringing only paper, rope, a shadow,
To proclaim before the judgment
The voice that has been judged:

Let me tell you, world,
I—do—not—believe!
If a thousand challengers lie beneath your feet,
Count me as number thousand and one.

I don’t believe the sky is blue;
I don’t believe in thunder’s echoes;
I don’t believe that dreams are false;
I don’t believe that death has no revenge.

If the sea is destined to breach the dikes
Let all the brackish water pour into my heart;
If the land is destined to rise
Let humanity choose a peak for existence again.

A new conjunction and glimmering stars
Adorn the unobstructed sky now;
They are the pictographs from five thousand years.
They are the watchful eyes of future generations.

Composition:

    Set to music by Liza Lim (b. 1966), "and the dead", alternate title: "Communion between the living", 2018 [ soprano, percussion and chorus ], from Atlas of the Sky, no. 6

Text Authorship:

  • by Chen Maiping (b. 1952), "The Answer"

Based on:

  • a text in Chinese (中文) by Bei Dao (b. 1949), copyright © [text unavailable]
    • Go to the text page.

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Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-14
Line count: 28
Word count: 187

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