Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Yan Jun

February 19

A man in the south
summons the rain
he’s never seen salt poplars
and doesn’t know
I was just then crossing the snowy field

From Xiaotang Mountain to Asqu

The night’s curtains envelope our hearts
making the wolves lose their way
dissolve into the air

And the snow falls like this
what exactly does it mean

On the back side of the moon
the wind blows away a child’s sleeptalk
his older brother in the south summons the rain

But I dissolve into the darkness
leaving only glimmers like snow behind
what exactly does this mean?

19 FEBRUARI

een man stond in het zuiden
te roepen om de regen
hij had nog nooit Huyangpopulieren gezien
en wist ook niet
dat ik      juist door de sneeuw liep

van Xiaotangshan naar Aksu
bedekt de duisternis mijn hart
laat de wolven verdwalen
en oplossen in de lucht

dat het zo blijft sneeuwen
wat zou dat toch betekenen?

langs de achterkant van de maan
wordt een kinderdroom door de wind weggeblazen
zijn broer staat in het zuiden om de regen te roepen

terwijl ik oplos in het duister
laat ik net als de sneeuw alleen wat flitsen na
wat zou dat toch betekenen?

Close

February 19

A man in the south
summons the rain
he’s never seen salt poplars
and doesn’t know
I was just then crossing the snowy field

From Xiaotang Mountain to Asqu

The night’s curtains envelope our hearts
making the wolves lose their way
dissolve into the air

And the snow falls like this
what exactly does it mean

On the back side of the moon
the wind blows away a child’s sleeptalk
his older brother in the south summons the rain

But I dissolve into the darkness
leaving only glimmers like snow behind
what exactly does this mean?

February 19

A man in the south
summons the rain
he’s never seen salt poplars
and doesn’t know
I was just then crossing the snowy field

From Xiaotang Mountain to Asqu

The night’s curtains envelope our hearts
making the wolves lose their way
dissolve into the air

And the snow falls like this
what exactly does it mean

On the back side of the moon
the wind blows away a child’s sleeptalk
his older brother in the south summons the rain

But I dissolve into the darkness
leaving only glimmers like snow behind
what exactly does this mean?
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère