Another Kind Of Wheat: Enjoy a Newly Translated Chinese Poem On Wheat

Another Kind of Wheat | Poetry

A fresh poetry translation from Cang Bai on the humble wheat crop

February 12, 2023

Illustration: Li Si

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I said the wheat is waiting for fall,

You burst out laughing,

I must have never seen wheat before.

It’s already ripe by summer.

That’s right,

You surely have winter wheat growing near you.

People sow it in fall,

And harvest in summer.
You saw it with your own eyes,

How could you be mistaken?

You laugh at me because you’ve seen winter wheat.

But I’ve looked at the spring wheat north of the Great Wall.

I remember when you were young,

With bright eyes

And a piercing gaze,

Seeing straight from a snail’s eyestalks

To the ends of the galaxy.

You were full of wonder,

Loving the worlds beyond this one.
Who knew you’d end up like this,

So worldly-wise,

Yet failing to wonder for a moment

If there might be another kind of wheat.

我说麦子等秋天

你马上笑我

肯定没见过麦子

它夏天就成熟

是的

你家附近必定长着冬小麦

人们总在秋天播种

夏天收割

亲眼所见

怎会有错

你因见过冬小麦而笑我

我则略过长城以北的春小麦

想起你少时样子

眼睛亮亮的

眼神也有力

从蜗牛触角

直直探望到银河尽头

那时你充满好奇

钟情世界之外的世界

不像现在这样

长了见识

却丝毫不怀疑

世界可能还有另种麦子

Another Kind of Wheat | Poetry is a story from our issue, “Promised Land.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine.

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Another Kind of Wheat | Poetry

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