Poem
Bei Dao
Reading of History
As plum flowers revolt, the hostile dewsSafeguard the darkness engraved by the midday sword
The revolution will start next morning
The plaint of widows is like a wolf pack racing across the frozen plain
Due to a prophecy, ancestors retreat into
That river where faith argues hectically with desire
There is no end, there is only a vortical recluse
Experiencing another meditative tranquillity
Climbing high to behold sunset over the throne
As civilisation drifts off with the flute music in the empty valley
Seasons stand up from the debris and
Fruits creep over the walls to chase tomorrow
© Translation: 2009, Tao Naikan and Simon Patton
KRONIEKEN LEZEN
vijandige dauw in opstandige pruimebloesembewaakt het duister dat het noenzwaard uithouwt
de revolutie begint de volgende ochtend
en de klacht van een weduwe doorkruist de toendra als wolven
om de voorspelling trekken de voorouders zich terug
in een van geloof en verlangen omstreden rivier
zonder einde – alleen de kluizenaar in de draaikolk
ervaart de stilte van een ander soort gedachten
van hoog ziet men de zon die zakt op de troon
als beschaving en fluitspel vervliegen in de lege vallei
verheft zich het seizoen uit de puinhopen
klimmen vruchten over de muur op jacht naar morgen
© Vertaling: 2009, Maghiel van Crevel
© 2008, Bei Dao
From: Jieju huo kaishi
Publisher: Changjiang, Wuhan, China
From: Jieju huo kaishi
Publisher: Changjiang, Wuhan, China
Poems
Poems of Bei Dao
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Reading of History
As plum flowers revolt, the hostile dewsSafeguard the darkness engraved by the midday sword
The revolution will start next morning
The plaint of widows is like a wolf pack racing across the frozen plain
Due to a prophecy, ancestors retreat into
That river where faith argues hectically with desire
There is no end, there is only a vortical recluse
Experiencing another meditative tranquillity
Climbing high to behold sunset over the throne
As civilisation drifts off with the flute music in the empty valley
Seasons stand up from the debris and
Fruits creep over the walls to chase tomorrow
© 2009, Tao Naikan and Simon Patton
From: Jieju huo kaishi
From: Jieju huo kaishi
Reading of History
As plum flowers revolt, the hostile dewsSafeguard the darkness engraved by the midday sword
The revolution will start next morning
The plaint of widows is like a wolf pack racing across the frozen plain
Due to a prophecy, ancestors retreat into
That river where faith argues hectically with desire
There is no end, there is only a vortical recluse
Experiencing another meditative tranquillity
Climbing high to behold sunset over the throne
As civilisation drifts off with the flute music in the empty valley
Seasons stand up from the debris and
Fruits creep over the walls to chase tomorrow
© 2009, Tao Naikan and Simon Patton
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