By Chen Z’iang (Translated by Lan Hua)
The orchids birthed
Through spring
And summer both
Such luxuriant growth
How can leaf
Be so green
Hidden and alone
In the forest remote
The vermillion flowers
Hang from a purplish stem
Slowly absorbing
The light as the
Daytime fades
And with the first hint
Of autumn’s wind
The blossoms reach
Their fullest extent
Falling as the stem trembles
A sudden fragrance
Released that
No one expected
Lan Hua is a writer and translator based in New York. His translations of Chinese poetry are available online at www.tangspirit.net and his own poetry is available online at lampoetry.blogspot.com
Some of the poems present a challenge to the translator and modern reader as they are very contemplative and imbued with a spirit of profound Taoist mystery.