LESSER HEAT* By Yang Zi

LESSER HEAT*

By Yang Zi

Under northern trees, there is still the trace of a cool breeze.

An eagle spreads its wings and circles.

The haystacks are all gone, leaving a few sparrows behind.

The garlic patch is brimming with little white flowers.

In the straw cage, crickets are chirping loud and bright.

A yellow dog lies at the doorway, tongue flexed, panting

The ox chews its cud, sparrows occasionally heard chirping in the fruit trees.

Magpies fly over the courtyard wall. The clouds seem to stir without moving.

Sitting on a step under the eaves in my small family courtyard,

I feel, at last, level like a vat of water, an indescribable feeling—

a cup of Pu'er tea, a bowl of noodles, a savory dish,

the scorching midday sun, a few simple words exchanged.

Note:

The lunar calendar divides a year into 24 climatological intervals; each interval is 15 days—from new moon to full moon or full moon to new moon. The interval of Lesser Heat is the eleventh interval of the year, starting on the new moon after Summer Solstice.

About the Poet:

Yang Zi was born in Ningxia in 1963. He has authored poetry collections including Collected Poems of Yang Zi, Epic of Western Xia and Twelve-line Farewell Songs, and compiled works such as Anthology of Ningxia Poetry and History of Ningxia Poetry. His poems have been included in more than a hundred literary journals and anthologies, and translated into English, French, Serbian and other languages. He participated in the 15th Youth Poetry Conference hosted by Poetry Periodical, and was selected into the National Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talent Project. He holds the title of First-Class Writer, and is a member of the China Writers Association, a member of the China Literature and Art Critics Association, a director of the China Poetry Society, vice-chairman of the Ningxia Writers Association, and president of the Ningxia Poetry Society.