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Island 45

困囚木屋常愁悶
憶別家鄉月幾圓
家人倚望音書勿
憑誰傳語報平安

木屋監囚愁悶多
記憶來時歷苦楚
過關未卜是何日
空令歲月易蹉跎

台山氏翁題

Imprisoned in this wooden building, I am always sad and bored.
I remember since I left my native village, it has been several full moons.
The family at home is leaning on the door, urgently looking for letters.
Whom can I count on to tell them I am well?

Prisoners in this wooden building constantly suffer sadness and boredom.
I remember the hardships I had to endure when I was coming here.
I cannot prophesy on which day I will cross the barrier.
The years and months are easily spent in vain.

Composed by an old man from Toishan

Listen to the poem in Toishanese ⏯

Island 111

忝屬同群事感哀
計音誰遞故鄉回
痛君騎鶴歸冥去
有客乘槎赴美來
淚鎖孤魂悲杜宇
愁牽旅夢到陽台
可憐藥石施醫誤
險被焚屍一炬灰

This unworthy one with the group is grief-stricken.
Who will transmit the news of death back to the village?
I mourn your having ridden the crane to return to the dark regions.
A traveler arrived in America on a ship.
Tears enveloped the lonely soul as the cuckoo uttered its mournful cry.
Sorrow has led me to dream of traveling to the Terrace of Yang.
It is a pity that medicine was wrongly prescribed.
The corpse was nearly cremated to ashes.

Listen to the poem in Cantonese ⏯

Island 112

噩耗傳聞實可哀
弔君何日裹屍回
無能瞑目憑誰訴
有識應知悔此來
千古念愁千古恨
思鄉空對望鄉臺
未酬壯志埋壞土
知爾雄心死不灰

Shocking news, truly sad, reached my ears.
We mourn you. When will they wrap your corpse for return?
You cannot close your eyes. On whom are you depending to voice your complaints?
If you had foresight, you should have regretted coming here.
Now you will be forever sad and forever resentful.
Thinking of the village, one can only futilely face the Terrace for Gazing Homeward.
Before you could fulfill your lofty goals, you were buried beneath clay and earth.
I know that even death could not destroy your ambition.

Listen to the poem in Cantonese ⏯

Island 93

狼醫要驗勾蟲症
不能登陸運不靈
青年何苦輕生命
冤沉二字向誰鳴

The savage doctors examine for hookworms.
I could not go ashore because fate was not kind.
Why should a young man take his life so lightly?
To whom should I cry out for redress of these terrible wrongs.

Listen to the poem in Cantonese ⏯

Island 21

憶自動輪來美洲
迄今月缺兩輪流
欲寄安書恨期乏
家人懸望空悠悠

I remember since boarding a ship to America
Till now, the moon has waned twice.
There is no mail service to send a letter telling of my safe arrival.
The family is expectant, but their hopes are in vain.

Listen to the poem in Cantonese ⏯

Island 28

牢騷滿腹甚難休
默默沉沉祇自憂
時望山前云霧鎖
恰似更加一點愁

香山流蕩子題

My belly is so full of discontent it is really difficult to relax.
I can only worry silently to myself.
At times I gaze at the cloud- and fog-enshrouded mountain-front.
It only deepens my sadness.

By a wanderer from Heungshan

Listen to the poem in Heungshan (Shekki) ⏯

Translations:
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.