Tiananmen

每年，在我记不清楚的岁月里，我在1989年6月4日都会非常难过，而且感到相当孤独。今年也不例外。我的记忆会逐渐消失，但我的心永远是坚强的，我将永远找时间来回忆，我希望我不会独自回忆。

Every year, for more years than I can clearly remember, I get very sad on 4 June 1989, and I feel quite lonely. This year is no exception. My memory will fade, but my heart will always be strong, and I will always find time to remember, and I hope I won't remember alone.

Tiananmen
Is broad and clean
And you can’t tell
Where the dead have been
And you can’t tell
What happened then
And you can’t speak
Of Tiananmen.

You must not think.
You must not dip
Your brush in ink.
You must not say
What happened then,
What happened there.
What happened there
In Tiananmen.

The cruel men
Are old and deaf
Ready to kill
But short of breath
And they will die
Like other men
And they’ll lie in state
In Tiananmen.

They lie in state.
They lie in style.
Another lie’s
Thrown on the pile,
Thrown on the pile
By the cruel men
To cleanse the blood
From Tiananmen.

Truth is a secret.
Keep it dark.
Keep it dark.
In our heart of hearts.
Keep it dark
Till you know when
Truth may return
To Tiananmen.

Tiananmen
Is broad and clean
And you can’t tell
Where the dead have been
And you can’t tell
When they’ll come again.
They’ll come again
To Tiananmen.

— James Fenton, ‘Tiananmen’