A fresh poetry translation from Cang Bai on the humble wheat crop
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. Alternatively, you can purchase the digital version from the App Store.
Born in Chengdu, Sichuan, Cangbai first posted his poems on Douyin in 2020 and immediately struck a chord with the platform’s young audience. In just two months, his followers grew from zero to 200,000. He has previously worked on providing psychological aid to troubled youths and suicide prevention through Goodnight, the late-night radio channel and online community he has founded. Cangbai’s first poetry collection, Embracing You and the World (《抱着你和人间》), was published in early 2021.
Translated By
Nathaniel Gan is a translator working from Chinese and Spanish to English. He translates poetry, fiction, and first-person narratives for TWOC. His background in activism, farming, education, and design has provided a fertile training ground for navigating the space between worldviews, where meaning depends as much on context as content. Based out of Providence, Rhode Island, Nathaniel collaborates with poets and writers in the US and internationally.
