The Wandering Songstress
Is there such a thing as Chinese fidelity?
A Shanghai gramophone voice tells me
a young girl to her man is like thread to its needle.
We could be sewn into fidelity together
bound by thread and dynasties.
A woman with a golden throat reminds us that
only love that lasts through hard times is true
but the moon represents my heart
these days, with its constant waning.
If I were to search like a wandering songstress
from the end of the earth to the farthest sea
to find you, my beautiful man,
we’d be ancient as terracotta.
In life, who does not cherish the springtime of youth?
The lotus blossoms of my feet are ripe for plucking,
flowers bloom under the bright moon.
My face is like a lantern reflected on the lake
fading slowly with the night.
A young girl to herself is faithful as a shadow
waxing with the dark and absent
The title of this poem and the italicised phrases are translated from the Chinese folk song Tian Ya Ge Nu.
Please Register or Login
Register now for full access to News and Events, Web Exclusives, Blogs and Comments.
If you've already registered, please login.