No Flower Hides Its Fragrance: A Poem by Yan Li Translated From the Chinese by Anna Yin
Our search for hidden gems in #translation continues with "1234567," a poem by Yan Li, translated from the Chinese by Anna Yin. Happy National #TranslationMonth, and thanks for reading! —The Editors
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1. In an era when tears must be worn to see the system clearly, weeping is outlawed. 2. To ensure peace revels in its time, how much weight should weaponry bear? Weapons reply: “We, too, long to revel!” 3. No flower hides its fragrance. Those who shed their skin through hardship stand bare, facing life with muscle and bone. 4. Bitterness is more a seasoning, not always bound to poverty. 5. Elites take on the stance of the illiterate, sneaking through the chaos of political storms. 6. When life is cornered by a turbulent society, its role is to cry out for help, while mine is to endure. Each plays its part. 7. Life before electricity's invention was surely dull— but that dullness only emerges after you've tasted the spark. (2016.12) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1， 在必须戴上眼泪 看清制度的时代里 哭是违法的 2， 为了保证和平能及时行乐 应该配备多少军备 军备说 我也想及时行乐！ 3， 没有一朵花会捂住自己的芬芳 磨难中脱过几层皮的人 以肌肉和骨头直面生活 4， 苦更是一种味道 不一定与贫穷挂钩 5， 精英们采取文盲的立场 偷渡政治风云的难关 6， 当生活被动荡的社会 逼到墙角时 它负责呼喊救命 我负责活下去 各司其职 7， 电器发明之前的生活 肯定是无聊的 但它的无聊 发生在你用过电器之后 2016.12.
About the author
Yan Li (poet and artist) was born in Beijing in 1954. He started writing poetry in 1973 and painting in 1979. He was a member of the pioneering art group “Star Painting Club” and the literary group “Today” in Beijing in 1979, and held the first solo exhibition of pioneering art in China in 1984. In 1987, he founded the poetry journal First Line New York (which ceased publication in 2000) and resumed publication in New York in June 2020, where he continues to serve as editor-in-chief. He is the president of the Overseas Chinese Writers' Association.
About the translator
Anna Yin was Mississauga’s Inaugural Poet Laureate (2015-2017) and has authored seven poetry collections (five in English) and four books of poetry translation. Her poems and translations have appeared in Queen’s Quarterly, ARC Poetry, New York Times, China Daily, CBC Radio, World Journal, among others. Anna won poetry awards from Canada, USA, and China. She has read on Parliament Hill, at Austin International Poetry Festival, Edmonton Poetry Festival, and elsewhere. Her website is annapoetry.com.