IPNHK 2017 contributor Chow Yiu Fai has worked in many media. He has been writing song lyrics since his first publication in 1989, and by now they number upwards of 1,000. His books include Suddenly, Decades Ago, 7749: Forty-nine Exercises on Everyday Creativity, The Phobia Book, Blue Stained Paper, and One Body, Two People. He moved to the Netherlands in 1992 and received a PhD in 2011 from the University of Amsterdam. Since returning to Hong Kong he has taught at Hong Kong Baptist University and now is an associate professor at its Department of Humanities and Creative Writing. His lyrics and writings have won numerous prizes.
Androgyny
You wear my skin
You take my lips and tongue
You feel my body and you’ll see through my hopes
If you were me
You’d you get my thoughts Female or male
How different am I from you?
Take my cigarettes smoke for two days
I hope you’ll inhale my thoughts
Or change sex When I come a little closer
I take your clothes and wear them for two days
Do I have to change my sex before I feel what you feel
I’d rather get closer when you’re in shock you stretch out my tongue
I have your pupils
I have your hair
I have your colorless scent I’ll dwell in your world
If I were you
I’d find I had your madness Female or male
Wouldn’t they be better as one
Lend me your high heels I’ll wear them for two days
And hope I’ll get my thoughts
Or change sex When you come a little closer
Take my stubble don’t shave for two days
Do you have to change your sex before you feel what I feel
I’d rather get closer so we can know without having to speak
Take my cigarettes smoke for two days
I hope you’ll inhale my thoughts
Or change sex When I come a little closer
I take your clothes and wear them for two days
Do I have to change my sex before I feel what you feel
I’d rather get closer when you’re happy and I can go crazy
maybe only obsession will make me change
I want to be you our fates superimposed
(Translated from Chinese by Lucas Klein and Chris Song)
雌雄同體
換了你皮膚
換了你唇舌
換了你全身的感覺 即刻識穿我希望
換了你是我
亦發覺連心思都有 女或男
我跟你相差多不多
我的香煙 借給你抽兩天
然後期望你心裡就有我的事
或者會變性 當我接近你一點
你的新衣 借給我穿兩天
難道要換性別 至得到你體驗
寧願接近到 當你詫異 伸我舌尖
換了我瞳孔
換了我頭髮
換了我無色的香氣 即刻棲身你天地
換了我是你
亦發覺連瘋癲都有 女或男
我們卻偏偏想一起
你的高踭 借給我踩兩天
然後期望我心裡就有你的事
或者會變性 當你接近我一點
我的鬚根 借給你穿兩天
難道要換性別 至參透你思念
寧願接近到 不靠說話也知
我的香煙 借給你抽兩天
然後期望你心裡就有我的事
或者會變性 當我接近你一點
你的新衣 借給我穿兩天
難道要換性別 至得到你體驗
寧願接近到 當你快樂 我會癲
也許只有迷戀會叫我改變
我要變做你 將命運亦重疊