Five Poems

      

By Chinese Poet Yuan Hongri Translated by Manu Mangattu

Yuan Hongri       The City of Stars   White and blue night. A Crystal smile. Black is a pawn Devoured by red lips of lightning.   There appears a song in the sky It sprinkles down with rain and dew There is a colossal ship in the sky Twinkling like the City of the Stars. The Soul Tripod   More splendorous than the whole world Is veiled in my chest, the gilded key to heaven. The blue ocean and the silver kingdom in my head do dwell As the different flowers, the same beauty garnishes them all. A simple civilization where everyone is a giant Each stone for them is a gem or gold Neither darkness nor death could ruin their words Hence a tripod of the soul they fashioned To conceive the making of the sun and the time of the soul. Bright Star – Sweet Song   I do know that heaven is in my frame, in my front Yet I still covet the covert far-off kingdom of aliens Longing forever to hear the soulful song of the stone. My footsteps, when I tread on the earth Shall accompany the throb of the years Every leaf is a word Every flower is a poem Every big tree has an old soul And all could hear the sweet song of the stars. The Smiling King   Two moons once chirped in my window – A blue moon and a red moon. They enticed a large number of stars The legion of angels from the Kingdom of Heaven.   My palace then appeared in the clouds A huge transparent palace in diamond The king that smiled to me thence was none But myself, whom I had long forgotten. The City of the Soul   Those ancient timeworn words I love – The Stone of the erstwhile dated soul. More than the crown or the jewels They make my days bright and charming.   With the light that I have I put them to smelt in Jinding So that I have countless stars To plait my City of the Soul.   Bio：Yuan Hongri (born 1962) is a renowned Chinese mystic, poet, and philosopher. His work has been published in the UK, USA, India, New Zealand, Canada, and Nigeria; his poems have appeared in Poet's Espresso Review, Orbis, Tipton Poetry Journal, Harbinger Asylum, The Stray Branch, Acumen, Pinyon Review, Taj Mahal Review, Madswirl, Shot Glass Journal, Amethyst Review, Fine Lines, and other e-zines, anthologies, and journals. His best known works are“Platinum City”and “Golden Giant”. His works explore themes of prehistoric and future civilization.       Manu Mangattu   About the Translator Manu Mangattu is an English Professor, poet, editor, director and rank-holder. He has published 7 books, 73 research articles and 36 conference papers apart from 14 edited volumes with ISBN. He serves as chief editor/editor for various international journals. He has done UGC funded projects and a SWAYAM-MOOC course (Rs 15 lakhs). Besides translations from Chinese and Sanskrit, he writes poetry in English as well as in Indian languages. He was named "Comrade to Poetry China" in 2016. A visiting faculty at various universities and a quintessential bohemian-vagabond, he conducts poetry readings, workshops and lectures when inspired. After an apprenticeship in Shakespeare under Dr Stephen Greenblatt, he currently guides 23 research scholars and mentors NET English aspirants.   Phone:+86 15263747339  Email:3112362909@qq.com Address:No.18 middle school Yanzhou District ,Jining City, Shandong Province, China