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No, You Did Not Die
Li Jiahua

Why do you cover your face and cry		Tiananmen Square
Why do your pale lips tremble			Tiananmen Square
Why, but why, does blood run from your chest	Tiananmen Square
Why is your body writhing in convulsions	Tiananmen Square
Reply to me					Tiananmen Square
with the burning torches and molten lava buried in your chest
With the roar and rage with which you once shook the universe
Surely you couldn’t really die as quietly as this
surely you couldn’t lose you vengeful eyes for ever after
No, you could not die
you are not dead
all the world has seen the violent anger in your features – 
even in the face of stabbing knives and rifle butts
you were not afraid
unarmed the wild beast did trample over and persecute you
you would rather die than submit
valiantly lying there in the blood and tears
No, you are not dead
you can’t die
your flags certainly did not fall to the ground and give up
your shredded slogan banners did not drop their flaming red wings
your strangled throat still continues to produce the deep roar of your ballads and essays as before
your mighty cannon-ball fist continues spurring on and encouraging the battle as before
Your nebulous bodily frame continues making accusations and calls to arms as before
Death does not belong to you
you are invincible
Yes
I believe freedom cannot be put to death
true reason’s lips cannot be sealed
then will be a day
when you will rise from the blood and tears
you will be ten, a hundred, nay one thousand times stronger than you are today
you will raise high anew the banner of awakening
overcoming those who before dealt with you with weapons
to solemnly proclaim out loud the rights of men.