By Chen Z’iang (Translated by Lan Hua)

The orchids birthed
Through spring
And summer both

Such luxuriant growth
How can leaf
Be so green

Hidden and alone
In the forest remote

The vermillion flowers
Hang from a purplish stem

Slowly absorbing
The light as the
Daytime fades

And with the first hint
Of autumn’s wind

The blossoms reach
Their fullest extent
Falling as the stem trembles

A sudden fragrance
Released that
No one expected

 

Lan Hua is a writer and translator based in New York.  His translations of Chinese poetry are available online at www.tangspirit.net  and his own poetry is available online at  lampoetry.blogspot.com

 

NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets.

The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or comments.


CODEC News:

2 Responses

  1. full lace wigs

    Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after reading through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!

    Reply
  2. unlockmyphonenow.com

    Some of the poems present a challenge to the translator and modern reader as they are very contemplative and imbued with a spirit of profound Taoist mystery.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.