Poem
Fang Xianhai
This work of art
Getting outof the taxi
I noticed in the distance
on the corner of Nanshan Road
a couple embracing
I thought as I walked passing couples lock-
ed in embrace
brought more of joy to the eye
than a city
full of degenerate
sculptures
but as I got closer
what answered my musing
took me by surprise
I saw
that this couple
were only going through the motions
of embracing
two heads drooping
and stuck
demoralized
together
without pleasure
without sadness
and even without
a stillness
to make you stop for a minute
in an uneasy
mood I
walked away
from them
but I went on
trying to come to terms with
this work of art
© Translation: 2009, Simon Patton and Guan Zhen
THIS WORK OF ART
![](/media/5/15384_org_xianhai_tthiswor.gif)
© 2001, Fang Xianhai
Poems
Poems of Fang Xianhai
Close
This work of art
Getting outof the taxi
I noticed in the distance
on the corner of Nanshan Road
a couple embracing
I thought as I walked passing couples lock-
ed in embrace
brought more of joy to the eye
than a city
full of degenerate
sculptures
but as I got closer
what answered my musing
took me by surprise
I saw
that this couple
were only going through the motions
of embracing
two heads drooping
and stuck
demoralized
together
without pleasure
without sadness
and even without
a stillness
to make you stop for a minute
in an uneasy
mood I
walked away
from them
but I went on
trying to come to terms with
this work of art
© 2009, Simon Patton and Guan Zhen
This work of art
Getting outof the taxi
I noticed in the distance
on the corner of Nanshan Road
a couple embracing
I thought as I walked passing couples lock-
ed in embrace
brought more of joy to the eye
than a city
full of degenerate
sculptures
but as I got closer
what answered my musing
took me by surprise
I saw
that this couple
were only going through the motions
of embracing
two heads drooping
and stuck
demoralized
together
without pleasure
without sadness
and even without
a stillness
to make you stop for a minute
in an uneasy
mood I
walked away
from them
but I went on
trying to come to terms with
this work of art
© 2009, Simon Patton and Guan Zhen
Sponsors
![Gemeente Rotterdam](/images/logo-GR_Basis_RGB_2021.png)
![Nederlands Letterenfonds](/images/logo-Nederlands-Letterenfonds-logo-RGB.png)
![Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds](/images/logo-stichting-van-beuningen-peterich-fonds.png)
![Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds](/images/cf_logo-zwart.png)
![Lira fonds](/images/logo-Lira_fond.png)
![Versopolis](/images/sponsors/logo_versopolis.png)
![J.E. Jurriaanse](/images/sponsors/logo_J_E_Jurriaanse_2020.png)
![Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie](/images/sponsors/logo_NL_fundedbyEU.png)
![Elise Mathilde Fonds](/images/sponsors/logo_EliseMathilde.png)
![Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot](/images/sponsors/logo_VanWijngaarden-Boot.png)
![Veerhuis](/images/sponsors/logo_Veerhuis_2.png)
![VDM](/images/sponsors/logo_VDM.png)
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère