我寧願我的錢， I would rather spend my money

去造航母，造戰機，造火箭， to build carriers, fighters, rockets

而不是用於割地、賠款、屈膝、投降。than to cede lands, pay reparations, and surrender. 

我寧願我的命， I would rather sacrifice my life

去拼坦克，炸碉堡，填戰壕， to fight tanks, explore bunkers, fill in trenches

而不是跪在刺刀前，埋進萬人坑，扔在亂葬崗。than to kneel before bayonets, to be dumped in mass graves, forgotten pits.

我不怕戰鬥， I fear not battle,

也不怕受傷， nor wound,

甚至不怕死亡。nor even death.

但我怕苟活， But I fear living like a dog,

像狗一樣被圈養 leashed and collared.

怕沒有盡頭的屈辱， I fear the endless humiliation

怕永無休止的奴役， I fear the endless slavery

像緩慢腐爛的潰瘍。festering like an open wound.

我請求大地收下我的身， Let the earth take my body—

綻放野花，變成麥穗，長出高粱， let wildflowers rise, wheat sway, sorghum grow—.

而不是浸泡在毒液里成標本，發臭，變僵。not pickle in poison, stiff and stinking, a specimen.

我請求後人蘸著我的血， Let those who come after dip pens in my blood

為英雄們寫碑文，刻石壁，鑄銅像， to carve heroes’ epitaphs in stone, cast them in bronze—

而不是湮滅在亡國史，被塗改，被遺忘。not erase us from history, rewritten, abandoned. 

我不怕平凡， I fear not mediocrity

也不怕誤解， or being misunderstood.

甚至不怕無人懷想。not even nobody will remember me.

但我怕軟弱， But I fear feebleness

怕斷了脊樑， a spine that cracks;

怕無處可哭的國殤， I fear there will be no place for me to remember the dead for our country.

怕絞索勒緊咽喉，卻發不出聲響， a noose at my throat, sound strangled silent.

怕子孫跪著長大，還笑著說“正常”。 Fear grandchildren kneeling, smiling, saying: This is normal.

——鋼鐵懷玉於2025年04月11日  (FYI, per the authors permission, readers can relay his work. I think his kindness includes translation.)