Written by HE WU
Yulan magnolia is a typical flowering tree from Chongqing and the emblem of Southwest University. In the past three years, together with the world, Chongqing was influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Last summer, Chongqing suffered a rare drought, which led to the death of many trees.
Beibei’s forest even caught fire, and the heroism displayed in the firefighting made the city widely known once again. The yulan flower was a witness and victim of all these events.
Recently, when yulan trees were pregnant with flower buds, a snowfall came to Beibei. Snowfall is rare in Beibei, which occurs only once every six to seven years, it could be a trigger for happiness, and it could be evidence for cold weather as well.
Seeing the pandemic control released, the winter going and the spring approaching, the author incarnates himself as a yulan tree and tries to narrate the short history, praising the people’s perseverance through all the hardship.
Three years Three years No one knows when storm clouds might appear And when bad fortune might occur…… |
| In the three years We should have grown sturdy into big trees with ample shade But in these three years We suffered a phantom pandemic A stormy blizzard, and a parching drought Luckily however In the three years We have grown unyieldingly Despite all those difficulties and hardships |
| We still remember How beautiful it was three years ago Whenever the spring comes There were crowds of people visiting us They laughed, sang, and posed like butterflies Their smiles more flowery than flowers Whenever the spring comesWe would hear children’s tender voice: “Look here mommy, How beautiful, This flower has grown!” |
| In the past three years The students who should be on campus Were isolated because of the virus On and off they attend virtual classes Their missing us could only be expressed Through the written words The colorful ladies who would often visit us Did not arrive because of the pandemic controls They put away their colorful scarfs And gave up their beauty contest with us |
| In the three years, we also suffered A drought rarely seen in decades With temperatures high as 45 degrees Celsius Though luckier than the pines at Hutou Mountain Who were licked by the wildfires Now we are sallow and haggard and struggling to recover And many even died of thirst |
| In the three years We experienced biting frost and cutting storms We suffered parching heat and thirsty drought And a vicious venomous virus And now the snow pellets Floating presently over the sky Are they the last challenge before our final win? |
| But from the howling wind You can hear a vague voice Coming from my fellows that is conveying The following exciting words:“ The winter is running away, The spring is at the corner!” |
| Have you seen The furry buds at our branches Growing bigger day by day waiting to bloom in the wind Have you seen The color of our torsos Turning from dark gray to pale green Accumulating energies for blooming |
| When it comes for us to bloom We’ll be proud of the prosperity in our gardens And be delighted and dignified of ourselves For surviving and blooming |
| We are delighted We didn’t fall down for the temporary sufferings We are dignified Yulan flowers are always more luscious after infliction Just as praised by a poet:“ How prominent is Yulan. It grows with spring and autumn, And excels with summer and winter. |
Translated by He Wu and Edward Painter
January 30, 2023
Profile of the author and translators
He Wu:
Professor of English language and literature, Southwest University (SWU), China. Email: hewuhw@swu.edu.cn.
Edward Painter:
Doctorate candidate, University of California, Los Angeles, U.S.A., former English teacher with SWU.
