“Delayed by Spring” by Lan Xin

Lan Xin (Lan Xin)

World Memory Heritage The Only Female Inheritor of Dongba Culture, International Renowned Writer & Poet. Internationally acclaimed bilingual writer, poet and translator, member of the Chinese Writers Association. The only female inheritor of UNESCO-listed Dongba Culture, International Disseminator of Dongba Culture and practitioner of Chinese culture’s global outreach. Winner of the Italian Francesco Giampietri International Literary Award, President of Lanxin Samei Academy and Dean of Yulong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy.

Eva Lianou Petropoulou
Αποκλειστικη Eκπρόσωπος για την Ελλάδα για την προώθηση της πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς – Dongba Culture Κίνα

Delayed by Spring by Lan Xin (Lan Xin Samei)

International Spiritual Poet, Internationally Renowned Chinese Writer and Poet, Winner of the Premio Letterario Internazionale Francesco Giampietri, the Only Female Inheritor of the World Memory Heritage Naxi Dongba Culture, Dean of the Yulong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy of China and Lanxin Samei Academy

At long last I behold
the fairest season of the year

Where the millennium crabapple sways in blushing pink
where the millennium shrub unfolds in purest white
side by side in this ancient temple
they bloom in time
meet as promised

Where pink and white
through a thousand shifting years
have endured each long farewell
they meet again right on time
embrace in romance

As spring breeze softly plays its tune
the crabapple boughs stretch over the temple eaves
kissing the blue tiles time and again

The petals gather across time and space
dancing in a riot of falling blossoms
then return to the embrace of Mother Earth
clothing her in a vibrant garb of spring

As a squirrel threads through pink and white branches
hopping up and down presiding
a grand magnificent romance
unfolds.

Birds in flocks chirp and chatter each with a voice
bees in swarms hum and whisper low
planning a grand ball
concocting a wonderful surprise
They have bided their time for long
now blooming with all their grace
they long to soar into the sky
to shine and astonish the world

I hold my breath
lest I disturb their secret plan
I stifle a gasp
lest I break their quiet code

I long to vanish at once
to hide away in this spring light
to slip quietly into their ball

If this spring ball
requires an entrance ticket
let me offer my secret words of love
and a grateful heart

If heaven would look kindly
please take a photo of me with this spring scene
if time could stand still
I pray devoutly
to fix my most beautiful form
in this breathtaking enchanting spring light

I am destined to be delayed by this spring
to go nowhere
to do nothing
but quietly sink into this spring glow
——dancing in glorious bloom.