Poems

by Chen Yuhong

He has wasted away into
a stick of incense
smoke
a ribbon of rain
a willow stem
a reed
thin like the winter sun

The resilient antenna
of a ladybird

The literal translation of this poem was made by Chenxin Jiang

The final translated version of the poem is by The Poetry Translation Workshop

Notes

We loved the playfulness of this delicate lyric and it was a pleasure to translate. The name of the subject, 'Mr Dreamer of Butterflies' is like a nom de plume - except it will have been given to him by his friends, probably other poets or artists in his circle.

There's something very touching about the metaphors Chen Yuhong has selected to describe her friend's condition. It's interesting that this is a woman poet writing about a man. And that she uses the final image of a ladybird to indicate his resilience.

Comments

No comments have been made on this poem yet! Why don’t you start us off?

• Name (required)
• Mail (required,
  but will not be published)
• Your comment
• Right to left text?
• 
  Please enter the text above or click here for a new text