from the Chinese of Yuan Fan, translated by Anna Yin
I am a primeval river.
I wander across plains in singing andante.
No aligned willows or stacked stones confine me.
I am not a precise line drawn by a geographer’s ruler.
I repeat no one—not even myself.
Through currents and winding courses,
failure teaches me the way ahead.
Like a python through dense forest,
I retain an iron vow:
Forward!
I surge forward—
like a farmer toward beloved land,
like a maiden toward her secret night,
like a general toward his marching army.
Before cliffs, I deepen into dark ravines.
Across meadows, I spread into shining shallows.
Beneath sunlight, I hide nothing—
riverweed, schools of fish, colored pebbles…
I wish all to remain visible.
My summer is rich with tempers;
my autumn, solemn yet embracing.
I rise in curves to spring’s whispers.
I return in winter as solid ice.
I am the cheers flaring gold before sunrise.
I am the hush of reverence under moonlight.
I hold a river brimming with stars.
On radiant nights, I carry the universe.
I am a heart of pure love,
mending the rifts of the earth,
offering blessings to the world.
Wherever I flow, I leave behind dark, fertile soil.
I bend to kiss every gentle creature;
but before arrogant aristocrats,
I lift my gaze to the sky.
Billows within me surge heavenward;
I rise with clouds in love and pain.
When I return,
remember:
I am sweet dew,
accompanied by thunder and lightning.
I long to become one great father-river.
Yet I know I must endure
like an underground river,
day after day,
silently passing through darkness.
Unknown, yet never empty.
I will not remain silent before injustice.
I carry a heart of passion and pathos.
I will foretell each harvest and each disaster.
Countless springs gather to form me.
I am older than storytellers’ chronicles.
I am living history, baptizing each coming age.
Chasing ceaseless winds,
my dream takes flight—
my snow-white sail
glides toward the far-off ocean,
my destination,
the free blue kingdom.
I am an ancient river,
an ancient folk song,
an ancient promise.
I take the shape of a long winding road,
determined to move forward,
becoming myself, fulfilling myself,
crossing endless days and nights.
The original Chinese poem takes over six minutes to read. For this presentation, I condensed the translation to fit a five-minute reading while retaining its essence. I hope this adaptation will help the poem reach a wider English-speaking audience. -Anna Yin
