The Chalk Circle
Zhai Yongming
trs. by Chen Xiaoyuan
The Chalk Circle4
in the chalk circle stands son of man
made from fluid of earth semen of heaven
in solitude he grows a little bigger
helpless to choose
outside the chalk circle stand two women
of unknown flesh and blood or rather
spotless and unstained
they’ve just gone through a war or rather
been possessed by war
the chalk circle is grey and red
as are the eyes fighting
eyes are red and grimy
as the one being fought
the judge’s bench a gavel hammers
endless rivers and mountains on one side
bonds of blood and marriage on the other
rivers and mountains suck the bond dry
the bond consolidates rivers and mountains
and me? what am I?
I am the prey a stack of substances
a soul without recognition
but waiting
to be possessed by or belong to
could I say I was just passing through
by accident I fell into this chalk circle
I don’t belong to war
nor to peace
the territory of the chalk circle is my only home
the judge’s bench a gavel hammers
who will have me?
the small chalk circle’s crammed with firewood
where my nascent consciousness
broils in flames of law
my blood writhes in the fight
two hands reach from left and right
one is maternal love so is the other
one is rose so is the other
a waterfall issues from one so from the other
they both frighten me
this chalk circle fight
is as absurd within as without
the judge’s bench a gavel hammers
who will have me?
whoever wins theirs is both maternal love
the soldering iron welds me inside
for a lifetime in the chalk circle
for a lifetime
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4 Story of the Chalk Circle: Two women are fighting for the same child. To decide who the real mother is, the judge places the child at the center of a chalk circle and asks the women to pull the child out from the circle, which is a scene similar to the Judgement of Solomon. The mother, who cannot bear to hurt the child and gives in, wins the case. Contemporary drama often quotes, transforms or subverts classical drama. As the most adapted legend, “Story of the Chalk Circle” has been adapted into novels, Yuan Operas, and modern plays. In this poem, I referred to different adaptations and changed the point of view so as to focus on the shackles of maternal love upon their children.