Grandma’s Penghu Bay
I can never grow tired of listening to this feet-tapping song from Taiwan, with its catchy melody and images of sand, sun, surf and an old ship captain. The lyrics are too fast to follow for me to sing along, and almost impossible to translate. After endless rewrites, here’s my final effort that follows the sentiment rather than the exact words:
外婆的澎湖灣
晚風輕拂澎湖灣 白浪逐沙灘
沒有椰林綴斜陽 只是一片海藍藍
坐在門前的矮牆上 一遍遍懷想
也是黃昏的沙灘上有著腳印兩對半
那是外婆柱著杖 將我手輕輕挽
踩著薄暮走向餘暉 暖暖的澎湖灣…
一個腳印是笑語一串 消磨許多時光
直到夜色吞沒我倆在回家的路上
澎湖灣 澎湖灣 外婆的澎湖灣
有我許多的童年幻想
陽光 沙灘 海浪 仙人掌 還有一位老船長
Night breeze ripples over Penghu Bay
white surf washes the sandy beachsunlight slants on palm and sea.Sitting on a low wall by the gate I recall
another sunset long ago on this beach trailed with footprints Grandma holding my hand as we tramped in the sun
warm and fading towards Penghu Baylaughing, chatting on our way home in the falling night.
Penghu Bay, Grandma’s Penghu Bay…
those were the days of sun, sand and salt spray,an old sea captain, a cactus tree in the gloom.
