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Island 36

無限滄桑感
羈身此樓中
青山飛不去
綠水阻英雄
率爾投筆去
徒勞反無功
慎言誠在我
無語怨東風

阮題

I have infinite feelings that the ocean has changed into a mulberry grove.
My body is detained in this building.
I cannot fly from this grassy hill,
And green waters block the hero.
Impetuously, I threw away my writing brush.
My efforts have all been in vain.
It is up to me to answer carefully.
I have no words to murmur against the east wind.

By Yuen

Listen to the poem in Heungshan (Shekki) ⏯

Voices 36

來 [ 此 ] 登埠易
口口困監牢
同胞難同志
早合滅蠻夷

It was easy to land at the port here,
But upon arrival, I was thrown in prison.
Though it’s hard for compatriots to work together,
We must soon unite to destroy the barbarians.

Listen to the poem in Cantonese ⏯

Island 76/Voices 45

Island 76:
花旗旗其转吾人占据
木楼楼留与天使还仇

If the land of the Flowery Flag is occupied by us in turn,
The wooden building will be left for the angel's revenge.

Voices 45:
花旗旗其轉三色盡屬
美 [ 族 ] 人占據
囚 [ 人 ] 償還仇
木樓樓留與一般便將

The Flowery Flag: the flag waves its three colors, yet only for Americans;
The Wooden Building: when the building is left to all, then prisoners will take revenge.

Listen to the poem in Cantonese ⏯

Voices 1

四面雲山清一色
光陰去卻復難得
隨處皆然顯春意
吾人何遂心中德

香山鐵城行 [ 旅 ] 人題

Clouds and hills all around, a single fresh color;
Time slips away and cannot be recaptured.
Although the feeling of spring is everywhere,
How can we fulfill our heartfelt wish?

Inscribed by a Traveler from the City of Iron in Xiangshan

Listen to the poem in Heungshan (Shekki, Long Du) ⏯

Voices 16

床前看月光
疑是地上霜
舉頭望明月
低頭思故鄉

Before my bed, the bright moonlight.
I thought it was frost on the ground.
Raising my head, I stare at the bright moon;
Lowering my head, I think of home.

Listen to the poem in Cantonese ⏯

Island 82

輕武重文嗟古風
挽正鋤奸惜來遲
羈此儼知因國弱
眠錐應勵振邦雄

鐵城漢維題

I bemoan the ancient attitude of disparaging military matters and esteeming civil affairs.
It is a pity that I come too late to support the righteous and extirpate the villainous.
Locked up here, I indeed understand that it is because my country is weak.
Sleeping with awls should spur us to develop our country's strength.

By Han Wei of the Town of Iron

Listen to the poem in Heungshan (Shekki, Long Du) ⏯

Translations:
Egan, Charles. Voices of Angel Island: Inscriptions and Immigrant Poetry, 1910-1945. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2021.
Lai, H. Mark, Genny Lim, and Judy Yung, eds. Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940. Second edition. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2014.