In childhood 

When we had high fevers 

We’d lie in Mother’s arms 

Hearing her whisper 

“Child, Mama is here with you.”

Ma Zhiyao, a distinguished Professor and Poet from China, shares his poetry 

Ma Zhiyao, born in 1971 in Aksu, a small city in Xinjiang, China, is a distinguished Professor and PhD Supervisor at Tianjin University. He is a writer, poet, folklore scholar, and expert in intangible cultural heritage research. Writing poetry has become his way of life, an integral part of his daily routine. He has published more than 40 works, including novels, essays, poetry collections, and academic monographs on literature and folklore. Starting his writing career at the age of 18, he remains committed to the craft, continuing his literary journey to this day.

马知遥，1971年生在中国新疆阿克苏小城，天津大学英才教授、博士生导师。作家、诗人、民俗学者、非遗研究专家。创作诗歌是他的生活方式，成为日常生活的一部分。出版小说、散文、诗歌、文学和民俗学研究专著等四十余部，18岁开始写作，至今还在路上，继续往下写。

(Translated by Ma Yongbo)

Aksu city of China

The Illness 

My mother fell acutely ill 

Her high fever lingering unrelentingly 

I took her temperature 

Fed her medicine 

I can never forget 

When I approached her 

She covered her mouth and nose 

Whispering softly, “Go away quickly, 

Don’t get infected.” 

In childhood 

When we had high fevers 

We’d lie in Mother’s arms 

Hearing her whisper 

“Child, Mama is here with you.”

***

病

母亲急病

高烧不退

我给她量体温

给她喂药

我一直不能忘记

当我走近她

她捂住嘴和鼻子

小声说 快走开

别传染你

小时候

我们高烧时

就在母亲的怀里

听她小声说

孩子 妈妈和你在一起

*** 

Single 

All single people on festivals 

That’s when you see guilt and unease 

You see the crowded crowd 

As cold as a winter 

Single people speak with the desolation of being single 

Most of the time, you’re in a boundless wilderness 

And that wilderness is also single

***

单身

所有单身的人在节日里

那样你就看到了罪咎和不安

你看见拥挤的人群

冰冷得如同一个冬天

单身的人用单身的荒凉说话

很多时候你在无边的旷野

那旷野也是单身的

***

Melting 

I stand under the tree 

Watching a child eat an ice cream 

The ice cream is melting 

From top to bottom 

The child hasn’t eaten it, or maybe forgotten to eat it 

He is watching ants marching in rows 

Halting at his feet 

He too stands still, waiting for the drip-by-drip melting 

It’s a cool summer afternoon 

I watch the child, the child watches the ants 

The ants watch the ice cream 

We are all happy    

***

融化

我站在树下面

看一个孩子吃雪糕

雪糕在融化

从上往下

孩子没有吃或者忘了吃

他在看蚂蚁一队队来了

到他脚下就不动了

他也不动等一滴一滴的融化

那是清凉的夏天午后

我看着孩子孩子看着蚂蚁

蚂蚁看着雪糕

我们很快乐