Hello, Baihuashan

Hello, Baihuashan

By Bei Dao

To the drifting sounds of a harp,
The snowflakes in my hands quivered.
When the mists dwindled, a rhythm
Of rising and falling mountain ranges appeared.

I had collected the heritage of all seasons,
And the valley was abandoned.
The wildflowers I plucked continued to grow,
With full blossom as life’s end.

The green sunlight flickered along the path,
Through the giant sifter of the virgin forests.
A rufous falcon was interpreting
The horrifying rumor in the mountains.
.

"Hello, Bai-- hua-- shan--"
Cried I on impulse,
"Hello, my-- children--"
And I heard echoes bounce from the remote waterfalls.

That was wind in the winds,
To which the universe responded with an uproar.
I mumbled as the flakes fell,
Drifting from my hands into the abyss.