Roadsong Poem by Bei Dao

In the forgetting of tree and tree
Is the dog's lyric assault
At the pointless journey's endpoint
Night turns all gold keys
No door opens for you

What a lantern abides by
Are winter's ancient laws
I head straight for you
The folding fans of history you open
Are solitude's songs when shut

Evening bells question you, carefree-remote
Echoes twice make you an answer
Night rises against the current
Roots in secret generate electricity
Your orchard is lit

I head straight for you
Guiding all foreign roads
When flame tries to pierce heavy snows
Sunfall seals off Empire
The book of Earth flips open to this moment

Translation: Tao Naikan and Simon Patton