A Visit

This poem is an English translation selected from the first section, "A Visit" (巡礼), of the Chinese poetry journal Workers' Poetry Selection (《打工诗选刊》).

Killing the Chanyu

After every night shift

a migraine quietly descends

I've been tormented by this for three whole years

until this morning

I felt my temples tighten like

a bowstring about to release its arrow

This morning I am no longer a worker with bowed head

I am a Han dynasty general, chin up and chest out

vowing to pierce the Chanyu's chest

with my final arrow

Xu Lizhi (July 28, 1990 – September 30, 2014), formerly known by his pen name Qian Xiaohan, was a contemporary Chinese poet from Jieyang, Guangdong. He was born on July 28, 1990, in Dongliao Village, Yuhu Town, Jieyang City, Guangdong Province. He began writing poetry in 2010. In early 2011, he joined Foxconn in Shenzhen as an assembly line worker. Starting in 2012, he published over 30 poems and essays in the factory's publication, Foxconn People. On September 30, 2014, he jumped from the 17th floor of a building in Longhua, Shenzhen, ending his life at the age of 24.

《杀死单于》

每个夜班过后

偏头痛就会悄然降临

为此我苦恼了整整三年

直到今天早上

我感到太阳穴里绷紧了

即将发射的弓箭

这个早上我不再是低着头颅的打工仔

我是抬头挺胸的汉朝将军

誓以最后一箭

洞穿匈奴首领的胸口

许立志（1990年7月28日—2014年9月30日），曾用笔名浅晓痕，广东揭阳人，中国当代诗人。1990年7月28日，生于广东省揭阳市玉湖镇东寮村。2010年，开始诗歌创作。2011年初，进入深圳富士康工厂成为一名流水线工人。2012年起，在厂刊《富士康人》上发表诗歌、散文等30余篇。2014年9月30日，从深圳龙华一座大厦的17层跳楼身亡，终年24岁。