Long Brocaded Poems

Chinese Poets: English Translations II

These are modern English translations of poems by the Chinese poets Tzu Yeh, Lin Huiyin, Xu Zhimo and Huang E. These are poems about love, passion and beauty. 


Tzu Yeh (circa...

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MODERN SONNETS I

I prefer the original definition of the sonnet as a “little song” of indeterminate form and length. These modern sonnets vary from more-or-less traditional to free verse.


Maker, Fakir, Curer
by Michael R. Burch

A poem...

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LOVE POEMS II

These are love poems by Michael R. Burch: original poems and translations about passion, desire, lust, sex, dating and marriage. On an amusing note, my steamy Baudelaire translations have become popular with the...

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Love has a Southern flavor: honeydew,
ripe cantaloupe, the honeysuckle’s spout
we tilt to basking faces to breathe out
the ordinary, and inhale perfume ...

Love’s Dixieland-rambunctious: tangled vines,
wild clematis, the gold-brocaded leaves
that will not keep their order in...

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Pasha Acremodios grew greedy,
discontented with the domain he dominated,
so he turned covetous eyes toward Farabia,
sending his soldiers to seize this ripened plum

Spoiling for a fight and fighting for spoils,
his army swept across Farabia
like a bloody...

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The Heights of Machu Picchu, Canto VIII
by Pablo Neruda
translation by Michael R. Burch

Ascend with me, my American love!

Let’s kiss these mysterious stones together!

The Urubamba’s torrential silver
lures pollen to fly from its golden chalice
while above this...

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SORROWS OF THE WILD GEESE by HUANG E

These are my modern English translations of poems by the Chinese poet Huang E (1498–1569), also known as Huang Xiumei. She has been called the most outstanding female...

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Beware of politicians whose active manifesto
Is always to speak ill of other candidates and opposition parties.
They are the real problems!

Beware of political goons and rumour-mongers, spinning allegations 
Twining civil questions, yakking all day but never...

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Cousin Donald Comes to Town ...

Elroy was all cock-a-hoop cos
cousin Donald was a-comin'
a visiting & they were so darn
chuffed & tremblin' in anticipation
that friday night the seven of them
in the one bed had a real...

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*           *
        *           *  *  ...

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The genie in the bottle  beside Alladin's lamp
awaiting the cue to perform her dance
Aromatic spices fill the air..authentic meals to be my fare.
Tagines of fowl and lamb....fish and yams 
 Bastille chicken flavored with...

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That evening
we took a flat-bottomed boat
and swam it up the Thames.
Douglas the middle-aged queer
served martinis out of a crystal pitcher.
Lurching for lips, he kissed me.
I was surprised how sweet it felt.
Jenny in a canvas chair,...

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Although I've never kept fanciful fountain pens close at hand,
I have found no need for flamboyant quills to dip into a well,
for poetic lines never heed my beck and call or my command.
Sometimes I'm a...

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Hail to the Royal Family, posed for their formal portrait
On King Randolph's right is his consort, Queen Margaret
Young Prince Lance is behaving and holding very still
I heard his Papa warn him, "Lance, can you just...

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Windswept nimbus sentinels are gathering
quickly darkening the noon day sky.
Sunlight wanes, becoming veiled 
behind layers of opaque clouds.
Like shrouds they hasten by.

Gusting winds approach from the north, 
forewarning of a tempest storm.
I hear thunder beating...

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All the riches of the Kingdom are mine

               The embroidered cloths,

          ...

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Miss Nellie lived up Paint Creek way
She spent her whole life in solitude
Some say Miss Nellie had attitude
She clothed herself in grandest array.

When Miss Nellie came into town
To shop in the only stylish boutique
Easily spotted,...

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My goodness, 
I’ve been handled by the best of people
And the worst of people,
the purity of my crisp white borders
has been eroded by the sweat of wily men. 
The hem of my petticoats 
marking the...

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Time and tide flit so fast, 
Forgetting how mellow memo faded. 
So long pain and pining last,   
Getting missing mood brocaded.
Strings in both hearts, rent by retrospective rift,
Amid murky mopes, melody of yore...

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Perhaps it is the yellowing autumnal foliage
that the evening light reflects,
or it could be the yellow corvette
parked beneath this particular tree
that up-lights the sky?

Dusk brings diaphanous flights
of jonquil-tinted clouds

The horizon retires
embedding itself
within a canopy of...

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A spider carefully plans and schemes
the pattern for its life and quest.
It spends its hours weaving dreams
until it creates its sticky best.

Its web is tatted small and refined
or brocaded in heavy tapestry.
Soon prey finds itself...

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