Portrait: Mr Dreamer of Butterflies After a Long Illness in Bed
He has wasted away into
a stick of incense
smoke
a ribbon of rain
a willow stem
a reed
thin like the winter sun
The resilient antenna
of a ladybird
We loved the playfulness of this delicate lyric and it was a pleasure to translate. The name of the subject, ‘Mr Dreamer of Butterflies’ is like a nom de plume – except it will have been given to him by his friends, probably other poets or artists in his circle.
There’s something very touching about the metaphors Chen Yuhong has selected to describe her friend’s condition. It’s interesting that this is a woman poet writing about a man. And that she uses the final image of a ladybird to indicate his resilience.
Impression - Mr Dreamer of Butterflies After a Long Illness in Bed
He has slimmed down into
an incense stick
smoke
a thread of rain
a willow branch
a reed stem
slimmed into the winter sun
an antenna persisted by a
ladybug.