World Poetry Proudly Presents Cheng Youshu from China!

Cheng Youshu, born in 1924 in Beijing, is one of the Chinese famous contemporary poets,  she had her education at St. John’s University, Shanghai in 1942. In the early years, she was living and working in Hong Kong. Her husband Chen Luzhi who is also a poet who founded the “Wildfire” poetry group together with poet Tuan. Cheng Youshu also a diplomat, worked in India, the United States, and Denmark.  At the beginning of the 21st century, Cheng Youshu returned to the poetry, some of her work is fresh, natural, with rich philosophy. She has published six books of poetry and  is invited to attend meetings of the national and international poetry. In 2004, Chen Youshu’s creative collection of poems and won the crown of China’s most important the Lu Xun Prize for Literature.

Gold Lotus Grassland

The grassland,
A sea of grass
Rolling green billows,
Embraces,
Lifts up
Countless
Gold lotus flowers.

The golden touch
Enriched only their name.
They truly are children
Of the commoners
Without privilege and fame.
Grew up amid
Grass and weeds,
Resisted strong winds,
Trodden by herds.
Still blossom like flames.

Blessed with the grassland.
Blessed with gold lotus flowers.
Blessed with encounters.
As the car passed by,
So astonished was I.

Golden flowers waved back,
Murmured with naughty eyes:
“Got a good look of you,
As we are passing by.”

As free as floating clouds and moving water
Gold lotus flowers are forever.

by Cheng Youshu (C)

-Gold lotus flower is the Chinese name for globeflowers. In the summer of 2011, I had an opportunity to enjoy these grassland flowers in Duolun, Inner Mongolia.

December 2011, Fang Gu Yuan, Beijing.

草原金
草原,
草的海，
草的浪，
托着，
拥着，
一朵朵
金莲花。

她有一个
富贵的名字
—金莲花。
却真的是平民的孩子，
一群群
在草丛里长大。
任凭风吹，
牛羊踏。

天赐草原，
天赐金莲花，
天赐机缘，
车掠过，
窗里人惊讶。

灿灿摇曳着的花，
却嬉笑说
掠过窗外的，
是她。

浮云流水，
不败的花。
          忆今夏车过内蒙多伦草原，喜见金莲花，
          2011年12月下旬终落笔于
            北京  芳古园