Spring is almost here!

At this special moment (that the virus is prevailing over the flowers), I try to amuse myself (and hopefully you!) with a few selected poems I translated from Chinese (if not noted, it was written by yours truly).

1. Plum flowers

遥望万花疑是雪，近观千蜂寻蜜来
I thought the flowers were snow  from afar
Getting close I saw bees searching for nectar

2. Apricot flowers

天蓝太阳暖， 粉花蜜蜂飞。
The sun warms the blue sky
Among pink petals bees fly.

3. Mustard or canola flowers

3.1. 远觅春踪婺源行，花黄一片满地金。
From afar I seek the steps of spring,
I arrive at Wuyuan where fields are golden.

The hedges sparse ‘n small road deep,
Flowers gone but leaves not formed a shade.
Kids running chasing yellow butterflies,
who fly into mustard flowers to hide.

— A poem by Yang Wanli, Tang Dynasty. Translated by Zachary Huang

4. Flowering cherry flowers

A Bee Sings to Cherry

— Zachary Huang

You are pink the sky’s blue
The spring sunlight sends
Warmth, on me and you

I buzz over for an encounter
for your beauty, your fragrance
and of course, your sweet!

With a gust of wind, tomorrow
your petals will fall
I will lightly embrace you
With a kiss to take away your sorrow

I will cherish your sweetness
Store them as honey
Though your life is gone in a haste
Humans will have a long time
To give your honey a taste

**Written on April 12,  2018 after sorting photos of bees on cherry flowers, at Urbana, IL, USA