Among Flowers[1]:

Nature in Miyun

Selected Poems by Airuo   Translated by Berlin  Fang

During the early summer of 2000, I went to Huairou, and found that the water had dropped about seven or eight meters below the normal line in the reservoir.I am concerned that one day, it will disappear altogether.In recent years, Beijing has been plagued with excessive heat, sand storms, and receding water.As the environment deteriorates, I wonder where we as the human race will go in the future.This poem is meant to immortalize the green planet we used to know.

Atop the Yan Mountain my eyes see far

The waves, the white waves, billowing forward

Rows and rows of green mountains

And ridges where animals roam

Rising smoke from someone’s kitchen

The sun sets

Ravens and magpies all begin to retire

Suddenly I hear a cuckoo

The Moon rises, bright and round

Amidst the branches and leaves of a willow

The wind makes green waves on the land, all around

Rippling far and wide

And the wide expanse of the seas

Dwarfs the islands

In the Eastern Ocean[2]

Honeysuckles release their fragrance at night

Roses are prettier as the day goes by

I could mistake this place for my hometown