Tears of Jerusalem
      —a song by Xiao Quan, based on Huaiyu's short story “The Wailing Wall”


The weeds have quietly stationed there for thousands of years
The tear marks are still visible on the ruins of the wall
People insert little wishes into the wall crevices
and pray piously time after time

Over the wall it is my familiar home
I have unloaded hate for the sake of love
I harbor no grudge for I have known bitterness
In this disturbed mundane world, how my heart grieves

The angels come
Taking me across the ancient dessert
Shielding me from gunpowder smoke with a scarf
Is the cooling oasis polluted?
Can we live together like the wave and the rock,
facing each other under the same blue sky?
The sun is setting to the west
The evening clouds smeared by blood
How far are we away from peace after the dark night?

(Translated by Huaiyu)