Bai Gengsheng‘s poem To the Magnolia - Translated by LAN xin

 

 To the Magnolia

Poem by Bai Gengsheng

Vice Chairman of the China Writers Association, Member of the Standing Committee of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Honorary Dean of the China Yulong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy

 

Translated by Lan Xin

World-renowned cultural figure, internationally renowned Chinese writer, poet and translator, winner of multiple international literary awards and outstanding international contribution honors, Ambassador of Great Love and Peace, the only female inheritor of UNESCO Memory of the World Dongba Culture, Dean of Dongba Culture Academy and Lanxin Samei Academy.

 

You are the magnolia

Standing tall on city streets

Graceful at village ends

Adorning palaces with nobility

Embellishing parks with elegance

Spring stirs in your heart

Hope is rekindled once again

 

Your spirit soars, unbound

Like cranes dancing light in the air

You are the messenger of spring

Warming thousands of household lights

Shining bright in every corner

Stretching across the Milky Way

Turning the whole sky into paradise

 

You arrive before the bitter cold

You bloom before the warm wind comes

You do not vie for favor with fruit blossoms

You offer your fragrance to heal and bless the world

 

You are the spirit of the earth

Unspoiled by dust or darkness

You chase away dark clouds and night

No mountain may belittle your tenderness

You are the conscience of the universe

Pure and upright, you glorify the world

 

Your spirit spans the rainbow, your heart unyielding

You stay true, unchanged by time or season

You gaze calmly at worldly glamour and noise

You envy not laurel nor peony’s pride

 

Magnolia, magnolia, you are not alone

You wake plum blossoms, then peach blossoms

You bring forth willow green and cauliflower gold

Magnolia, magnolia, pure beyond compare

Naturally radiant, your grace shines eternal