A Long Song (Chinese Translation) Poem by kathleen bartholomew

A Long Song

The singer performs
a wine fuelled song
reaching mournful notes
soft and liquid like the morning dew:

So few moments left
So few moments left
Sackcloth and ashes, I am bereft
release me from the prison of my frustration.

can this be foiled
by the spirits that charm me?
what is the meaning of the degree gown, mortar, and scroll?
I long for more.

you are the adorning light
we, pensive in thought,
as two wild animals, eat
their food fresh and green;
so in need of meat they spit it out.


many moons but I see only one.
I greet you humbly
under so many stars.
I see them all
in miles of barren waste

at our parting, sweet with sorrow
your kindness overwhelms me.

black suited birds fly towards the moon
there are no branches to be found
only lofty mountains
deep oceans
no pauses
only harmony on the wing of song.

Chinese poem translation by Kathleen Bartholomew