Yuan-Hongri
Yuan Hongri (born 1962) is a renowned Chinese mystic, poet, and philosopher. His work has been published in the UK, USA, India, New Zealand, Canada, and Nigeria; his poems have appeared in Poet’s Espresso Review, Orbis, Tipton Poetry Journal, Harbinger Asylum, The Stray Branch, Acumen, Pinyon Review, Taj Mahal Review, Madswirl, Shot Glass Journal, Amethyst Review, Fine Lines, and other e-zines, anthologies, and journals. His best known works are “Platinum City “and “Golden Giant”. His works explore themes of prehistoric and future civilization. Its content is to show the solemnity, sacredness and greatness of human soul through the exploration of soul.
Transparent men and women
Men and women more beautiful than colored butterflies
Maybe really a group colored butterflies
Dancing from Zhuangzi’s big dream
But I see cities, crystal transparent cities
Like city’s dream, city’s love
Through the walls could reach the other shore
Light, may transcend time
Above the sea surface of time, boats of light are flying
On a little island
I see other men and women
This calendar tells us a window
After days are still another days
It is the illusion of days that besiege us
Just as my flesh is my own shadow
Yesterday’s leafs and water drops
Pebbles I played with in my childhood
The sun I see for the first time
Those all things are smiling in a house of light
Eyes of men and women
Eyes more charming than the rainbow
On vibrant morning
In intoxicating dusk
Flying water drowned men and women
I found one sun in my own chest
I discovered cities in my head
The water of the past turned into crystal, diamond
There are stars sailing in my bones
Ah, a young girl in dream
Maybe came from someday a hundred years ago
Still I miss that moment
That vision disappeared when I wake up
That momentary smile, how warm it was
Who made you appear in my dream?
I believe in dream, as I believe in the sun
And in dreamland I saw another me
Shadows of Phoenix and Unicorn
Once in dream came down
On the mountain top
I dreamed a house of heaven
Blood is another river
Blood in my body also has its own dream
I set foot on a ladder of days
But on the other mountain
Leisurely I’m flying
Shadows of men and women
Blooms in a smile
The seasons of men and women
Days are like pieces of stones
I opened an photo album sealed for many years
I saw Yellow Emperor rambling in the city
One shadow is among many shadows
On another wild field
Ancient years are shouting and fighting
On grassland all kinds of flowers are laughing
Living in glass I
Don’t know their names
Water of yearning, water of sweet and fragrant spring
Fly from inside rocks
A girl is like a colorful flying phoenix
Only dream tells us the illusory of time
Outside time’s gate
There is another sun
Who was playing games inside ancient rocks
Igniting gold piece by piece
On pieces of transparent boulders
Drawing seas and cities
I was sitting in a house filed with light
With a picture album hold in my hand
In the buildings of ancient times
Caught sight of the future emperors
Whose blood was the plum flower drinking
Which girl’s song was it singing
When I got up
I saw a white jade, glittering its smile
In the age when rock drifted fragrance
Queen Mother of the West was a witch
Tow eyes have intoxicated the handsome and strong MU Tianzi
This is a gold sculpture
But I don’t know
Am I in times of heaven or mundane?
On days when Goddess stepped on auspicious clouds
Where am I?
On which star
Still preserves my house of past?
From east to west
There is a road of gold
Perhaps there is a blonde
To be my companion of tomorrow
The earth is a crystal jade
In lover’s mouth
Atmosphere is as sweet as wines
And in one dreamland
I’m still a baby
Every city and county I passed by
Have all left my shadow
Thousand years after they will still be golden and shining
Bread that I eat was my own blood
A girl that I loved once loved me a thousand years ago
I saw in the arms of the rocks
Girls were lying down, cheeks fresh and red
Skins were as transparent as jade
Hieroglyphs and letters
Were glittering and shining on the sun
God is holding a brush in his hand
Waving a pen in heaven
Those cities of gold and silver
In an eye’s twinkling flew toward the human world
On the edge of a big river bank
There was one house of mine
A garden yielded full of golden fruits
On the other mountain, red plum blossomed spreading the top
My shadow turned into a Kylin
In the house built with white jade
I wrote down a volume of poetry
Each line of verse is a star in the blue sky
A tortuous, quiet and secluded path
Walked through from a garden
The sun shed its golden drizzle
Golden spiral ladders
Was in another crystal sky
I opened my own head
There are more suns
Spinning, singing
Girl of light, petal of smile
On a lake green-jade-like
Reflecting the red houses
A cluster of green leaves transmit bright red lips
Smiling faces of the alley paved by stones
To where shall it lead me?
Blooming peach tree of early spring
Upon the hillside, bees of sunlight are buzzing
Through the street of trams and crowd
In front of the glorious and magnificent mansions
Look up forward a piece of crystal blue sky
In the thoughts of white clouds
Is the city beautiful?
Along the street of billboards and neon lights
Big trees covered with green hair
Enable me miss the distant mountains and the clear springs
Children’s smiling faces are no unfamiliar
Black jade eyes, pink lips
At this moment, men and women flow stream endlessly
It was fashion and vanity that noised the street
I planted myself here
Left a thousand shadows
To cultivate a thousand gardens
To pave the gold onto road like the stones
Let every stone melt into crystal
In wind language there were sounds of stars
Rocks and pine trees of distant mountains
Poetry rhythm of the sea
There were underground buried dreaming words of ancient people, blooming red flower
And there were remote poems I eager to go back
Every single green tree beside the street loves us
Under the hot sun, wordless green shade
Every flower has its own language
People with crystal eyes
Will see flower’s smile
Ah, every time the sun rises
We all woke up from death
The dead us, where have been kept?
Do not belittle a stone
It hummed the song of universe
The young girl’s smiling face of the very days
Turned into a white cloud
Upon the mirror face of the sky
All the saints could be seen
I was silent in the fire, went through
The flame of men and women
In the high streets and back lanes of cities
Wind of time blown colorful flags
Under the blue sky, river of life is flouring and rushing
I tried to open the memory door
On another planet
Leisure and happy time
The night of death subsided
And on the red clouds of dawn
Golden smile face of the sun
The initial men and women
Men and women without names
Men and women created God
The initial poets were a couple of lovers
When the blood started to sing
I heard the language of the sun and stars
On some wonderful and joyous occasions the sun smiled outside the window
A young girl walked into your window
Her eyes are two stars
Came from ancient space
How transient this prosperity in front of us
This street, city of labyrinth
The old man sitting on the street playing with chess
Still missing the house of gone away
The young girl of that very year was still walking past the street
Only turned into a transparent shadow
Tomorrow is in white clouds’ hometown
Tomorrow’s sun is still smiling and silent
Every moment of mine is departing me
Big birds of time were darting in the sky
Brightly colored feathers
Glitter in the sky, knowing nowhere to leisurely fly down
In a palace
I’m an old man, sitting on golden chair
Missing me
I walked into a stone
Saw another sky
On a vast sea
There was an island of peach flower
Days of riding a Phoenix
Where are my companions
Walking on the street of Wangfujing
I miss the Yellow emperor riding a dragon up to the heaven
Light is my only food
Light of the sun, moon, and stars
Became my bones
Ancient Greek and Rome
Is now in front of me
Poems of Homer and Sappho
Turned into my sweet spring
Many countries I travelled
Flying in the space-time of words
A thousand years and ten thousand years
Made me lament: transience
And now every drop of blood today
Is all a ruby
Every inch of the land I’ve stepped on
Is all ancient gold
Whose jade body am I walking on?
Ancient sweet and beautiful songs
Enables me fall in love with the ancient girl
In a transparent jade
Will your laughter be preserved?
Sometimes on one star
I saw your beautiful face
Ah, golden words
Stars of east and west
How many poets’ kingdom they have entered?
Strings of shining glorious names
Engraved on the chest of the sun
Upon the ocean of the sky
How many happy gardens are there?
I’m just fluttering away
Making a temporary farewell from the mundane world for a millennium
When Sappho returns again
A new song must be chanted
Days of labyrinth in front of us
Time played the strings of the sun and the moon
Words flied from the stars
I walked into the days of phantom overlapped
I can’t tell the past from the future
Now I’m alone and unconventional
And under the sun I lost the shadow
Is this body accompanied me
The narrow boat of time?
Above the waves of the Three Gorges
I galloped forward
Understand the songs of green shade
Drink a wine of silent time
A golden daisy
During my mid nap
Turned into a girl
Poplars and willows on lake shore stand by each sides
Are they still waiting
The lovers strolling in the evening?
The sunset is waving a handkerchief of twilight
The light of love
Is soaring in the clean breeze
Pairs of star eyes
Where are they twinkling today?
On whose forehead they are inlaid
Singing and chanting to me now?
I stepped across the gates of light
Having no idea where to wake up from drunken sleep
In the labyrinth weaved by the light
Drink up the sweet wine of words to my heart’ content
Those golden smiling faces
Come from east and west
In the kingdom of poetry
Bosom friends and partners everywhere abound
I lingered about in day times
Opened doors and windows in the wall of light
Had a sweet deep sleep in the white jade case
Dreaming of my own footprints
Radiating golden light in the sky
Loneliness became God
Will loneliness hear the words of sky?
Swim across the long river of shadow
I’m a shadow forgetting himself
In a house by the street
What kind of time there have been?
Every day on the earth
Flame of time, burns endlessly
Let red lips of lovers fade
Black hair run into dust
Smell the fragrance of the mud
Whose love do you think and recollect?
Everything is colorful and transparent
Every stone keeps its own memory
A pile of shattered stone statues
Smile at me in the sun
Maybe we’d known each other a thousand years ago
Blood of stone is golden and transparent
Time flower is gold and precious stones
Where are the charming figures today?
Left rolls and volumes poetry of light behind
Those shadows are still brilliant
Vivid and bright-colored as ever in transparent words
A withered flower has a beautiful memory
An instant bloom embraces eternity
Memory walks to memory, where shall we go?
The first drop of water turned into an ocean
All things I witnessed come from the past
Tomorrow will born in my palm
By whom the chess pieces of the stars are driven?
In whose eyes the earth is also a chess piece
I watched my own life on the earth
Drinking water, having meals, heart full of yearning
Another me perhaps always keep me accompany
Only he knows my secrets
Words I said may have been said
Roads I traveled may have been traveled
I seem to be repeating one by one of the past
On my tired days, eager for fall down and die
Like zhuang Zi, became a free butterfly
As soon as I wake up, I see the sun
Auspicious clouds spread their fragrance beside me
Rivers flowed out from the embrace of the mountain
Again back to the ancient sea
My memory ocean maybe is just ahead
Where is the time hidden exactly?
Come with no sign and go with no trace
Upon the mirror surface of time
Only see my own shadow
My songs can be heard by the stars
Walk on the city street
White clouds walk with me
I walked into a church
Caught a sight of Jesus holding a baby in his arms
God stands in heaven, waits and watches us
My god is myself
I sat in the heaven, looked at myself
A big seven-colored bird
Spread the wings of sky
Watched me walking on the earth
Death’ black night curtain
Covered heaven of gold and silver
At this moment where do I live on earth?
Drink up all this glass of wine
Blood of time is brewed into nectar
No time for hesitation and hovering
Not to be sad in the face of heaven
What cannot be retained is the shadow one after another
My songs are a paradise that will not wither
Who is not hungry and thirsty in city desert?
Colorful sand and gravel accumulated into time
Flame refined out transparent bones
Drink the bright jade body
More brighter and glorious than diamonds
In pavilions of sky, read volumes of golden books
In time and space labyrinth, write volumes of poetry
In the world of mortals, who is my bosom friend?
Caress a street tree, listen to the whisper of the green leaves
Transparent crystal world, countless brilliant smiling faces
Open the wall thus can walk into
A house full of laughter
Tomorrow is just a landscape
Long has been hanging in the balcony of sky
The sun walked forth and back in the sky
Made tomorrow’s lunch prepared
Let me sit down and caress the time’s silk
Cut it to make you a new dress
Walk into the bosom of the sun
Through the flame
And turn into a beam of pure light
Glass of the blue sky, melted in the flame
You will see the young girl singing on the star
Garden of earth blossom once again
The human world is full of transparent butterflies flying all around
Labyrinth city, colorful river
Wind blows flags of dream
In whose blood the ancient song is sounded?
The Hurrying footsteps beat the drum for an expedition
Those eyes glistering starry bright
Seems contain ancient sweet spring
A seed of gold
Is sprouting on your palm, full of bloom
[Beijing, August 1998]
***
透明的男人和女人
远红日
透明的男人和女人
比彩蝶更美的男人和女人
也许 真是一群彩蝶
自庄子的大梦中翩翩
可我看到城市 水晶透明的城市
像城市的梦 城市的爱情
穿过墙 就可以到达彼岸
光 可以超越时间
在时间的海面上 光的船儿飞翔
在一座小岛上
我见到了另一些男人和女人
这张日历 告诉我们一个窗口
在日子后面 还有另一个日子
包围我们的 是日子的幻影
正如我的肉体 是我自己的影子
昨天的树叶 水珠
我童年时玩过的小石子
第一次看到的太阳
那一切 都在一座光的房子里微笑
男人和女人的眼睛
比彩虹更迷人的目光
在生机勃勃的早晨
在令人陶醉的黄昏
飞翔的水 把男人和女人淹没
我在自己的胸膛里发现一颗太阳
我发现我的头颅里有一座座城市
过去的水化成了水晶 钻石
我的骨骼里有星星在航行
哦 一个梦中的少女
也许 来自几百年前的一个日子
至今 我仍在怀念
这个我醒来 就消失的幻影
那瞬间的微笑 何等温暖
是谁 让你在我的梦中出现
我相信梦 就如同相信太阳
在梦境 我见到了另一个自己
凤凰和麒麟的影子
也曾在梦中来临
在一座山巅上
我梦见了天上的房子
血液是另一条江河
在我体内的血液 也有自己的梦
我踏上一条日子的阶梯
而在另一座山上
我在悠悠飞翔
男人和女人的影子
在微笑里盛开
男人和女人的季节
日子像一块块石头
我打开了封闭多年的相册
看到黄帝正在城市里漫游
一个影子 在众多的影子之中
在另一片原野上
古老的年代 还在呐喊厮杀
草原上笑着各种花儿
住在玻璃里的我
不知道他们的名字
想念水 甘甜清香的泉水
从山岩里飞来
一个少女 像一只飞翔的彩凤
只有梦 告诉我们时间的虚幻
在时间的大门外
还有另一颗太阳
谁在古代的岩石里游戏
燃烧一块块金子
在一块块透明的巨石上
画出了海水和城市
我在一个光的房子里端坐
手捧一部画册
在一座座古代的房子里
看到了未来的帝王
梅花饮着谁的血
唱着哪一位少女的歌
我醒来的时候
看到一块白玉 闪闪微笑
在岩石飘香的年代
西王母是个女巫
两只眼睛 曾醉了英伟的穆天子
这是一座黄金的雕像
可我不知道
是在天上还是人间的日子里
女神踩着祥云的日子
我在哪儿
在第几颗星星上
还留着我昔日的房子
从东方到西方
有一条黄金的路
也许有一个金发的女郎
是我明天的伴侣
地球是一枚透明的美玉
在恋人的嘴里
空气香甜如酒
在一个梦境
我依然是个婴儿
每一座我驻足的城市和乡村
都留下了我的影子
在一千年后 依然金光闪闪
我吃的面包 是我自己的血液
我爱的女子 千年前就曾爱我
我看到岩石的怀抱里
躺着一个个少女 两腮鲜红
皮肤透明如玉
一个个象形字母
在太阳上光芒闪闪
手持画笔的上帝
正在天堂上挥笔
那一座座金银的城市
转眼飞向了人间
在一条大河的边上
有我的一座房子
一座果园 结满了黄金的果子
在另一座山上 红梅开满了山巅
我的影子 化成了一匹麒麟
在白玉的房子里
我写下了一卷诗歌
每一行诗句 是一行碧空的星斗
一条曲折的幽径
在一座花园里穿过
太阳 洒下了金色的雨丝
金色的旋梯
在另一个水晶的天空
我打开了自己的头颅
有更多的太阳
在旋转歌唱
光的少女 笑的花瓣
在一面翠玉的湖上
倒映着红红的房子
一簇簇的绿叶 透出鲜红的嘴唇
石头的小径的笑脸
把我引向何方
一树初春的桃花
在山坡上 阳光的蜜蜂嗡嗡
穿过电车和人流的街道
在华丽的巨厦前
仰望一抹透明的蓝天
在白云的思绪里
城市是否美丽
在广告牌和霓虹灯的街头
一株株披拂绿发的大树
让我思念远山和清泉
孩子的笑脸并不陌生
黑玉的眼睛 粉红的嘴唇
此刻 男男女女们川流不息
喧闹街头的 是时髦和虚荣
我把自己种在了这儿
留下一千个影子
去播种一千个花园
把黄金像石头一样铺在街上
让每一块石头 都化成水晶
在风的语言里 有星星的声音
有远山的岩石和松树
有海的诗韵
有埋在地下 开出红花的古人的梦语
有我渴望回去的 那远古的诗歌
每一棵街旁的绿树都爱着我们
在烈日炎炎下 无言的绿荫
每一朵花都有自己的语言
眼睛透明的人
会看到花的笑容
哦 太阳每一次升起
我们都从死亡中醒来
死去的我们 留在了何处
不要小瞧一块石头
它嘴里哼着 宇宙的歌声
当年的少女的笑脸
化成了一朵白云
在天空的镜面上
可以看到所有的圣人
我在火焰中静默 穿行
男男女女的火焰
在城市的大街小巷
时间的风 吹起五彩的旗帜
在蓝天下 生命之河浩浩荡荡
我试图打开记忆之门
在另一颗星球上
逍遥快乐的时光
死亡的黑夜消退
在黎明的红云上
太阳金色的笑脸
最初的男人和女人
没有名字的男女
创造了上帝的男女
最初的诗人是一对恋人
在血液开始唱歌的时候
我听到了太阳和星星的语言
当太阳在窗外微笑的良辰
一个少女走进了你的窗前
她的眼睛 是两颗星星
来自古老的太空
这眼前的繁华何其短暂
这条街道 迷宫的城市
坐在街旁下棋的老者
还在怀念 逝去的房子
当年的少女 还在街上走过
只是化成了透明的影子
明天就在白云的故乡
明天的太阳 依然微笑不语
我的每一瞬间都离我而去
时间的大鸟在天空疾飞
色彩绚丽的羽毛
在天空闪烁 不知向何处悠悠飞落
在一座宫殿里
我是个老者 坐在金椅上
把我怀念
我走进了一块石头
看到了另一片天空
在一片大海上
有一座桃花的小岛
乘驾鸾凤的日子
我的那些伴侣呢
走在王府井的街道上
我怀念乘龙上天的黄帝
光是我唯一的粮食
日月星辰的光
化成了我的骨骼
古代的希腊 罗马
此刻在我的眼前
荷马和萨福的诗歌
化成了我的甘泉
我旅行过很多国家
在词语的时空里飞行
一千年和一万年
都让我感慨：短暂
而今日的每一滴血
都是一颗红宝石
每一寸我踏过的土地
都是古代的黄金
我走在谁的玉体上
古代的甘美的歌声
让我爱上了远古的少女
在一块透明的玉石里
可含有你的笑声
有时 在一颗星星上
我看到你的芳容
黄金的词语啊
东方和西方的星星
在多少个诗人的王国
一串串闪光的名字
刻在太阳的胸前
在天空的海洋上
有多少座幸福的花园
我只是飘飘飞去
暂别人间千年
当萨福又一次归来
定会唱新的诗歌
眼前的日子的迷宫
时间 弹奏日月的琴弦
词语 从星空飞来
我走进幻影重叠的日子
分不清过去和未来
此刻 我孤独特立
在太阳下 我失去了影子
这伴随我的躯体
可是那时间的小舟
在三峡的浪涛上
我飞驰向前
听懂了绿荫的歌声
饮着一杯 寂静的时光之酒
一朵金色的雏菊
在我午睡的时候
化成了一位少女
湖岸上依依的杨柳
可还在等待
那黄昏时漫步的恋人
夕阳挥动晚霞的手帕
爱情的光芒
在习习的清风里飞翔
一双双星星的眼睛
于今在何处闪烁
镶嵌在谁的额头
此刻向我咏歌
我跨过一座座光的大门
不知酒醒何处
在光芒编织的迷宫
畅饮词语的美酒
那一张张金色的笑脸
来自东方和西方
在诗歌的王国里
处处有知音和伙伴
我在日子里徘徊
在光的墙壁里 打开一扇扇门窗
在白玉的盒子里酣睡
梦见自己的足迹
在天空中金光灿灿
孤独就成了上帝
寂寞 可听到天的话语
在影子的长河里游过
我是一个 忘了自己的影子
在街旁的一座房子里
可曾有过怎样的时光
大地上的每一个日子
时间的火焰 燃烧不息
让恋人的红唇褪色
黑发化成了尘埃
闻着泥土的芳香
你想起了谁的爱情
一切都七彩透明
每一块石头 都有自己的记忆
一堆破残的石像
在阳光里向我微笑
也许一千年前 我们就曾相识
石头的血液 金色而透明
时间的花朵 是黄金和宝石
那些迷人的身影如今何在
留下一卷卷光芒的诗歌
那些影子依然灿烂
在透明的词语里 鲜艳如初
一朵凋零的花朵有美丽的记忆
一瞬间的开放包容了永恒
记忆走向记忆 我们走向何方
最初的一滴水 化成了海洋
我所见到的一切 全都来自过去
明天 在我的手掌心里诞生
星辰的棋子谁在驱动
在谁的眼里 地球也是个棋子
我看着我自己在大地上生活
喝水 吃饭 心中充满思念
另一个我也许始终伴着我
只有他知道我的秘密
我说过的话也许曾经说过
我走过的路也许曾经走过
我仿佛在重复着 一个个过去的我
在我疲倦的日子 渴望倒下死去
像庄周 变成一只自在的蝴蝶
只要一醒来 我就看见太阳
一朵朵祥云 在我身旁飘香
河流从山的怀抱里流出
又回到了古老的海
我的记忆的海洋 也许就在前方
时间究竟藏身何处
来无踪 去无影
在时间的镜面上
只看到自己的身影
我的歌声 星星也能听到
走在城市的街道上
白云和我同行
我走进一座教堂
看见耶稣抱着婴儿
神 站在天上 向我们观望
我的神是我自己
我坐在天上 看着自己
一只七彩的大鸟
展开天空的翅翼
看着我 在大地上行走
死亡的黑夜帷幔
遮住了金银的天堂
在此刻的我 究竟住在哪儿
把这杯酒 统统饮下
时间的血液酿作琼浆
没有时间徘徊
面对天堂 也不去感伤
留不住的 是纷纷的影子
我的歌声 是不凋谢的天堂
城市的沙漠 谁不饥渴
五光十色的沙砾 堆积成时间
火焰炼出了透明的骨骼
饮着光芒的玉体
比钻石更灿烂
在天上的楼阁 阅读一卷卷金书
在时空的迷宫 写下一卷卷诗歌
红尘的世界 谁是我的知音
抚摸着一棵街树 听那绿叶的私语
透明的水晶世界 无数光芒的笑脸
打开墙壁 就可以走进
充满欢笑的房子
明天只是一片风景
早已悬挂在天空的阳台
太阳 在天空中走来走去
准备好了明天的午餐
且让我坐下 抚摸时间的绸缎
把它剪裁 为你做一件新衣
走进太阳的怀抱
要穿过火焰
化成一束纯净的光
蓝天的玻璃 在火焰里熔化
你会看见星星上唱歌的少女
大地的花园 又一次盛开
人间飞满了透明的彩蝶
迷宫的城市 彩色的河流
风 吹动梦幻的旗帜
在谁的血液里响起远古的歌声
匆匆的脚步 敲响出征的鼓点
那一双闪烁星光的眼睛
仿佛含着古老的甘泉
一粒黄金的种子
在你的手掌上发芽 盛开
1998.8 于北京
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Bio of the translator
Wit Lee, whose Chinese name is Li Hui, and pen name is Muzihuixin. She is a female poet born in Jining, Shandong province, and now lives at the foot of Mountain Taishan. She is an editor of Taishan University Journal, a member of Taian Writer’s Association and Taian Poets’ Association. She has published many poems and one poetry book: Beyond Time.
