About the Author: Vice Chairman of the China Writers Association, Member of the Standing Committee of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Honorary Dean of the China Yulong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy
Translator: Lan Xin (Lanxin Samei)
About the Translator: Internationally renowned writer and poet, the only female inheritor of the World Memory Heritage Dongba Culture, Dean of the China Yulong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy, Winner of International Literary Awards
Thirty-three years ago,
I met you,
And set you on a lifetime of giving.
Back then,
I said I was an ethnic minority,
You said you had long yearned for that;
I said I was born in the great southwest,
You said you had always dreamed of its wonderful customs and scenery;
I said I was a man from the mountains,
You said you loved my calm and kindness;
I said I was just a worker-peasant student,
You said it was because the college entrance exam had not yet resumed;
I said my work would keep me in the fields,
You said that was the most down-to-earth;
I said I was penniless and had no luck with wealth,
You said having knowledge made me the richest man;
I said my profession had once seen many “rightists”,
You said that era was gone forever;
I said my Mandarin was not fluent,
You said your skill would help me speak with a Beijing accent.
Your figure was everywhere on the stage back then,
Your beauty was indispensable to the landscape;
Countless eyes were drawn to you,
Many hearts were set ablaze by you.
What did it matter that you were not from the mountains, an ethnic minority, from the great southwest, or a worker-peasant student?
Who made you stay true to your heart,
And walk with me for thirty-three years?
Thirty-three years passed,
You followed me through wind, frost, and toil.
My home expanded from eight square meters,
My salary grew from forty-nine yuan;
My academic career started with short articles,
My steps always measured the land of words,
My spirit always roamed the cosmos.
Yet I bore none of the burden of raising our daughter and caring for our parents;
You raised our daughter and cared for our parents, always shedding tears alone;
You found joy in those tears,
You endured illness and pain in silence,
You never doubted anything I did,
Firmly believing I would always stay true to my original heart:
Upholding one faith,
Cherishing one ideal,
Joining one political party,
Holding one nationality,
Pursuing one profession,
Earning one salary,
Needing one home,
Loving one woman,
Raising one child,
Not envying others’ wealth and many descendants.
Thirty-three years later,
I never took you to watch lanterns,
I rarely went to dances with you;
I never asked about daily chores or social status,
I never knew the hardship of cleaning and sweeping;
You always hoped my writings would outlive me,
You loved my calm and peaceful nature.
Your sweetness was lying down to hear me tell stories of “Wolf Grandma”,
Your comfort was singing a song softly or loudly,
Your encouragement was a sincere and true kiss,
Your love was a gentle smile without many words,
Your promise was to hold my hand as we grow old.
Ah,
My beloved wife,
Thirty-two years is not short,
Thirty-two years is not long;
How many black hairs have turned to white frost,
My beloved wife,
In this life and the next, I owe you more and more,
In this life and the next, I owe you more and more——
Yet I still have a heart full of passion,
Yet I still have a heart full of loyalty,
I can only move forward bravely,
I can only give you all my love.
My beloved wife,
I will never forget your days and nights under the stars and moon for thirty-three years,
I will never forget your hand in mine through wind and snow,
I will never forget your letters when I wandered far and wide,
I will never forget your heartbeat when I rose and fell in officialdom.
Thirty-three years later,
I will also never forget how you warmed me in the bitter cold,
I will never forget how you made soup for our family and stayed by my side;
I will never forget how you remained unstained in a corrupt world,
Like an orchid blooming quietly in an empty valley, exuding a faint fragrance.
