by Yan Li, translated from the Chinese by Anna Yin
Falling
the rain has stopped,
but you can’t be sure
which weapon
an endless war will rest upon.
It’s like how people of different ages
carry different lifespans,
yet an accident, with just a raised hand,
can unravel the order you once believed in.
Though you may firmly recall
the anniversaries of events,
you cannot define what kind of vision
shapes an effective future.
What’s particularly regrettable
is that in so many moments, great and small,
we assume that falling is not a form of flying.
Thus, in all our states of descent,
we forget—
we still have wings.
坠落
雨已经停了
但你说不准
没停的战争
会停在哪种武器上
这就像不同年龄的人
有不同的年限
但意外只要抬一下手
就消解了原以为的秩序
虽然你能牢记
事件发生后的周年日
但无法确认什么样的展望
才是有效的未来
尤其遗憾的是
在很多大大小小的事件中
我们以为坠落不是飞翔的一种
于是在所有的坠落状态里
忘掉了自己还有翅膀
2021.6.
Textbook
through life
amount to nothing more than a parabola,
he says.
Though it has landed now,
the surface of his grave
still hold a faint blush,
like a page in a textbook
that once told a lie.
He has passed through many countries,
many regions,
and from any window he gazed into,
those bowing their heads to recite
were not lies—
but children.
教科书
人生经历
也就是一条抛物线
虽说目前落地了
但坟头表面
依然会微微发烫
就像某页说了谎的教科书
他走过很多国家和地区
从任何窗口看进去
低头背诵的并非谎言
而是孩子
2018.6.
Anna Yin: Yan Li’s poems never fail to surprise me with their unconventional metaphors and profound insights. He masterfully interweaves disparate elements into a larger tapestry, time and again evoking a quiet sense of awe. Describing himself as a “future pessimist,” he searches for glimpses of light amidst his dark visions. His poems “Falling” and “Textbook” leave me with a profound sadness, yet also a faint sense of solace—knowing that there is still someone who perceives the stark realities of our world with a deeply human heart. It is with this quiet hope that I find joy in translating his work.
Published: Sunday 2 March 2025
Yan Li, poet and artist, was born in Beijing in 1954. He began writing poetry in 1973 and turned to painting in 1979. A pioneering figure in both literature and art, he was a member of the groundbreaking Star Painting Club and the literary group Today in Beijing in 1979. In 1984, he held China’s first solo exhibition of pioneering art. In 1987, he founded the poetry journal First Line New York, which ceased publication in 2000 but was revived in June 2020. He continues to serve as its editor-in-chief. He is also the president of the Overseas Chinese Writers’ Association.
Anna Yin served as Mississauga’s Inaugural Poet Laureate (2015–2017) and is the author of six poetry collections and four books of translations, including Mirrors and Windows (Guernica Editions, 2021). Her poems and translations have appeared in Queen’s Quarterly, ARC Poetry, The New York Times, China Daily, CBC Radio, and World Journal, among others. Anna has received poetry awards from Canada, the United States, and China. She has read at venues including Parliament Hill, the Austin International Poetry Festival, and the Edmonton Poetry Festival. She teaches Poetry Alive, and her 11th book is set to be published by Frontenac Press this year.