by Ning Yaoyu
trs. by Wang Ping

The stove is roasting potatoes
It’s also roasting the floating clouds
I say “I love you,” meaning
I’ve asked myself: Am I willing to die for you
The fire is gone.  In the ash
You find what I treasure the most
Are you lost?
Please wait till I return to the stars
And I’ll roast the night
Till it shines again

by Qimanqul Awut
tr. Wang Ping, from Yusupujiang’s translation from Uighur

A horse, with worn hooves,
Comes out of the poplar woods
No sound of bells,
Only silence in the desert, trees sparkling in green.

It’s stuffy everywhere, like noon
Wind blowing in the water ditch
A woman is running from distance
She forgot her purse

Like the naan in my imagination
Soaked in salty tears
In the ascetic’s attire
Standing in line with rocks

by Li Yun
     trs. by Wang Ping

Child, please don’t open the box, no need to see everything in it
Not everything in this world needs to be understood
The box brings you good news, also death

I was too ignorant to follow the rule
I opened my mouth — I spoke
It was a grim day when I opened the box
Please remember the lesson

In reality, the box was empty.  In fact,
The box was full . . .

Thunder descended, treasures opened, secrets revealed
Sunlight broke the window, ten thousand arrows through my
heart
Plagues came in waves, conspiracy exposed, blood rained down
Mars invasion?  A comet through the sky, a cry of a newborn

I was a box, I broke my own rule
I opened the box, I opened myself
To fly or stay put
But Child, the only thing I never regretted —
Is to open my mouth and speak

by Jimu Langge
     trs. Sophia Kidd

only in the mountain evening
can you feel
what’s slowly closing in
what’s slowly edging away
a few strange coos and caws
appear as strangely as they fade
if you’re sleeping
then you’re a part of it all
if you awake
you hear and think
and you know what you’re dealing with
like maybe you’re real small, and it’s huge