Wishes

By Jiang Xun

I wish I were the azalea all over  the hills,
Only for the unregretful Spring;
I wish I were stars in the sky,
Give all my light to a mid-summer's night;
I wish I were the thousands of rivers,
Flowing to the one and only ocean;
I wish I were the Moon,
For you,
I'd be full once more.

If you were the island,
I wish I were the sea surrounding you;
If you rose up the sailing wing,
I wish to be the soft waves and winds;
If you went afar,
I'd be the road
Make smooth myself,
and going afar with you.

When you're tired,
I'd be the nearby inn at night,
with clean linen and mat,
For you to sleep on.
As you dream,
the tears on your pillow were I.

I wish I were the arm,
For you to lean on.
Silver hair as we would become,
Still I wish
to be the fireplace at your feet,
Recalling old times we shared,
You, the laughters,
I, the echoing chorus;
You, the tears,
I, the stars sparkling with.

When you become the dirt,
I wish to be the grass upon you,
If you become ashes,
I then be the dust.
If, ah only if!
If you still linger for this life,
allow me to make one more wish,
that I with you the coming life.