Kiú-kiong (玖芎)
Introduction
Kiú-kiong (玖芎) is author of the essay collection I Buried Myself under the Earth (我把自己埋進土裡), and in 2023 was writer-in-residence at the Taiwan Literature Base.
She has an MA from the Graduate Institute of Taiwan Literature and Transnational Cultural Studies at National Chung Hsing University. Her primary writing language is Tâi-gí. She believes that one’s mother tongue is not only the voice of one’s mother, but is also the voice of one’s homeland.
〈4：44：44〉(Extract)
我咧捷運車箱，手機仔共揤，時間下晡四點四十四分。
我雄雄精神過來。眯一下電子亂鐘，拄拄仔好是四點四十四分四十四秒。若拄好看著一排相仝的數字，聽講這號做「天使數字」，是上天欲報予人知的消息。
這是一个兆頭，毋過彼陣我猶閣啥物攏毋知，毋知是按怎佇這烏暗暝清醒甲。
一排四排做伙，我看甲花花讀攏無，敢若真生份，數字變做一枝一枝刀仔。
我掠準講人睏落眠，若成生出一粒大粒泡共人包起來，夢裡烏暗無底，偌爾仔安穩平靜。人若欲精神，袂輸有一枝刀仔共泡黜予破，lak落來現實。
我去便所，一肢跤閣踏佇夢內底，磚仔地若竹篙橋㽎咧㽎咧，干焦精神轉來爾。我坐佇馬桶加減放，放尿了後人敢若較好睏。
Góa leh chia̍t-ūn chhia-siuⁿ, chhiú-ki-á kā chhi̍h, sî-kan sī ē-po͘ sì tiám sì cha̍p sì hun.
Góa hiông-hiông cheng-sîn kòe—lâi. Bî chi̍t-ē tiān-chú loān-cheng, tú-tú-á-hó sī sì tiám sì cha̍p sì hun sì cha̍p sì bió. Nā tú hó khòaⁿ-tio̍h chi̍t pâi sio-kāng ê sò͘-jī, thiaⁿ-kóng che hō-chò, “thiⁿ-sài sò͘-jī,” sī chiūⁿ-thiⁿ beh pò hō͘-lâng chai ê siau-sit.
Che sī chi̍t-ê tiāu-thâu, m̄-koh hit-chūn góa iáu-koh siáⁿ-mi̍h lóng m̄ chai, m̄ chai sī án-chóaⁿ tī che o͘-àm-mê chheng-chhéⁿ kah.
Chi̍t pâi sì pâi chò-hóe, góa khòaⁿ kah hoe-hoe tha̍k lóng bô, kám-ná chin chheⁿ-hūn, sò͘-jī piàn-chò chi̍t-ki chi̍t-ki to-á.
Góa lia̍h-chún kóng lâng khùn-lo̍h-bîn, nā sêng seⁿ-chhut chi̍t lia̍p tōa lia̍p pho kā lâng pau khí-lâi, bang—lih o͘-àm bô té, gōa-nī á an-ún pêng-chēng. Lâng nā-beh cheng-sîn, bē-su ū chi̍t-ki to-á kā pho thuh hō͘ phòa, lak lo̍h-lâi hiān-si̍t.
Góa khì piān-só͘, chi̍t ki kha koh ta̍h tī bāng lāi-té, chng-á tē nā tek-ko kiô sìm leh sìm leh, kan-ta cheng-sîn tńg—lâi niā. Góa chē tī bé-tháng ke-kiám pàng, pàng-jiō liáu-āu lâng kám-ná khah-hó khùn.
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Audio
Hold tight! Audio coming in June, in Taiwanese, Mandarin, English and Gaelic!
Preorder the paperback!
In June 2025, Tâigael: Stories from Taiwanese and Gaelic will be published in handsome paperback edition, as well as in EPUB. Four stories by four writers in four languages, with linked audio here on this website! Pre-order here!
