I Recognised a Father of Mine
I came down out of the tree
and recognised a father of mine
he was somber, silent,
puffing out a murky cloud
I emerged from the flowers
and recognised a father of mine
filthy, his mouth full of silt
feet in the clear lakewater
I came forth from stone
and recognised a father of mine
so pure he put us all to shame
naked, his hands coated with ancient moss
I emerged from the crowd
and recognised a father of mine
mask on his face, bound and shackled
performing an eternal Nuo drama
I emerge from the flames
and recognise a father of mine
carrying a bucket of water
yes, he is going to put me out
Note: Nuo drama is a traditional theatre style originating in religious ritual, characterised by elaborate costumes with grotesque, terrifying masks.
About the translators
Austin Woerner is a Creative Fellow in Chinese-English literary translation at the University of Leeds.
Feng Zewei is an MA student currently enrolled in the English Literature course at the School of English, University of Leeds.