Nikki Giovanni - Woman Poem 汉译

you see, my whole life

is tied up

to unhappiness

it’s father cooking breakfast

and me getting fat as a hog

or having no food

at all and father proving

his incompetence

again

I wish I knew how it feel

to be free

 

its having a job

they won’t let you work

or no work at all

castrating me

(yes it happens to women too)

 

its a sex object if you’re pretty

and no love

or love nd no sex if you’re fat

get back fat black woman be a mother

grandmother strong thing but no woman

gameswoman romantic woman love needer

man seeker dick eater sweat getter

fck needing love seeking woman

 

it’s a hole in your shoe

and buying lil sis a dress

and her saying you shouldn’t

when you know

all too well that you shouldn’t

 

but smiles are only something we give

to properly dressed social workers

not each other

only smiles of I know

your game sister

which isn’t really

a smile

 

joy is finding a pregnant roach

and squashing it

not finding someone to hold

let go get off get back don't turn

me on you black dog

how dare you care

about me

you ain’t got no good sense

cause I ain’t sh!t you must be lower

than that to care

 

it’s a filthy house

with yesterday’s watermelon

and monday’s tears

cause true ladies don’t

know how to clean

 

it’s intellectual devastation

of everybody

to avoid emotional commitment

“yeah honeyi wouldv’e married

him but he didn't have no degree”

it’s knock-kneed mini skirted

wig wearing died blond mamma’s scar

born dead my scorn your whore

rough heeled broken nailed powdered

face me

whose life is tied

up to happiness

cause it’s the only

for real thing

I

know

 

1969