A Poem
In honor of my leaving China soon I thought I'd post a poem by one of my favorite Chinese poets, Zheng Danyi, who I discovered whilst in HK in February.
"Fragrant Summer"
Oh, fragrant summer, I'm willing to smell you
I'm willing to give you my joy!
All the cups I touched are only to hold
Wine. All the names I uttered
Mean more than what they say
Immaculate teeth, naked pools
From one city
To another city's streets
One evening, or another evening's sleeve
You make me drunk and make me sing!
Grow a pair of broad happy wings
Cross the red walls around the heartstrings
Freely crossing
Freely changing clothes
Heat-stricken plums, weather resembling ancient times
I witness a shower, too, in leisure
Sprinkle over these old street corners
With bunches of grapes here
And piles of pears there
Ah, bless you, fragrant summer!
When sitting, or lying, reading a few pages for pleasure
I can always hear your late night horses
Returning the oxygen we consumed
Oh, sheer blue oxygen, in perfect calmness, you create
These forms, and make
My heart sing, sing
Of the thin moon, sing of the summer fragrance
-Zheng Danyi
From the book:
"Wings of Summer: selected poems of Zheng Danyi"
Translated by Luo Hui
"Fragrant Summer"
Oh, fragrant summer, I'm willing to smell you
I'm willing to give you my joy!
All the cups I touched are only to hold
Wine. All the names I uttered
Mean more than what they say
Immaculate teeth, naked pools
From one city
To another city's streets
One evening, or another evening's sleeve
You make me drunk and make me sing!
Grow a pair of broad happy wings
Cross the red walls around the heartstrings
Freely crossing
Freely changing clothes
Heat-stricken plums, weather resembling ancient times
I witness a shower, too, in leisure
Sprinkle over these old street corners
With bunches of grapes here
And piles of pears there
Ah, bless you, fragrant summer!
When sitting, or lying, reading a few pages for pleasure
I can always hear your late night horses
Returning the oxygen we consumed
Oh, sheer blue oxygen, in perfect calmness, you create
These forms, and make
My heart sing, sing
Of the thin moon, sing of the summer fragrance
-Zheng Danyi
From the book:
"Wings of Summer: selected poems of Zheng Danyi"
Translated by Luo Hui