Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Bei Dao

Wintering

Waking up: the northern pine forest—
The urgent drum beats of the earth
The alcohol of sunlights stored in the tree trunks
Is stirring the ice of darkness
As the heart and the wolf pack howl to each other

What the wind has stolen is wind
The winter, owing to the debts of heavy snow
Appears greater than its metaphor
Nostalgia is like a king with his kingdom lost
What it searches for is an eternal bewilderment

The sea looks sad, dying for the living
The constellations take it in turns to shine on love—
Who is the panorama’s witness
Who guides the horn call’s rivers
And the rebellion of orchards?

Have you heard it? My love
Let us grow old hand in hand
And hibernate with words
The rewoven time leaves behind
A fastened knot or an undone poem

OVERWINTEREN

wakker: in een pijnbos in het noorden –
van de aarde dwingend getrommel
in de boomstam zonlicht als drank
die het ijs van het duister opzweept
terwijl het hart huilt tegen wolven

wat storm ontvreemdt is storm
met schulden van sneeuw is de winter
groter dan zijn beeldspraak
heimwee als heerser van een rijk ten onder
op zoek naar dwaling voor altijd

de zee treurt om de levenden
sterren verlichten om beurten de liefde
wie heeft alles zien gebeuren
rivier die reikhalst naar hoornspel
opstand in de boomgaard

hoor je dat? mijn geliefde
wil dat wij hand in hand oud worden
en samen met de woorden in winterslaap gaan
nieuw geweven tijd laat een doodknoop achter
of een onvoltooid gedicht

Close

Wintering

Waking up: the northern pine forest—
The urgent drum beats of the earth
The alcohol of sunlights stored in the tree trunks
Is stirring the ice of darkness
As the heart and the wolf pack howl to each other

What the wind has stolen is wind
The winter, owing to the debts of heavy snow
Appears greater than its metaphor
Nostalgia is like a king with his kingdom lost
What it searches for is an eternal bewilderment

The sea looks sad, dying for the living
The constellations take it in turns to shine on love—
Who is the panorama’s witness
Who guides the horn call’s rivers
And the rebellion of orchards?

Have you heard it? My love
Let us grow old hand in hand
And hibernate with words
The rewoven time leaves behind
A fastened knot or an undone poem

Wintering

Waking up: the northern pine forest—
The urgent drum beats of the earth
The alcohol of sunlights stored in the tree trunks
Is stirring the ice of darkness
As the heart and the wolf pack howl to each other

What the wind has stolen is wind
The winter, owing to the debts of heavy snow
Appears greater than its metaphor
Nostalgia is like a king with his kingdom lost
What it searches for is an eternal bewilderment

The sea looks sad, dying for the living
The constellations take it in turns to shine on love—
Who is the panorama’s witness
Who guides the horn call’s rivers
And the rebellion of orchards?

Have you heard it? My love
Let us grow old hand in hand
And hibernate with words
The rewoven time leaves behind
A fastened knot or an undone poem
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère