Cao Shui, also Shawn Cao (born in Jun 5, 1982), is a Chinese poet, novelist, screenwriter and translator. He is a representative figure of Chinese Contemporary Literature. He leads the Great Poetry Movement. His most notable works includes Epic of Eurasia, the already mentioned trilogy and Princess Snow Leopard. So far 50 books of Cao Shui have been published, including 10 poem collections, 5 essay collections, 10 novels, 7 translations, 18 fairy tales and 100 episodes TV series and films. He has won more than 100 literary awards worldwide. His works have been translated into 36 languages. He is also chief editor of Great Poetry, executive editor in chief of World Poetry, Asian coordinator of World Poetry Movement, coordinator of BRICS Writers Association, executive president of the Silk Road International Poetry Festival, Chairman of Beijing International Poetry Film Festival. Currently he lives in Beijing, and works as a professional writer and screenwriter.
Great Dance of Sorrow
You stand center stage
They all push you towards sorrow
Backstage, some play the accompaniment
Behind you, some dance to the funeral music
Standing center stage crying, there's only you
This stage stands center of the Eurasian continent
You are on the Pamir plateue wailing
People come from all directions
Asians play funeral marches for you
And Europeans dance along
Wishing for death, you stand there
You are the most ordinary person
Yet no one will let you be
They sing for you, dance for you
To aid your sorrow process
Until you give up all hope
Until you depart this world
They'll grieve briefly and leave
To find the next eulogee
Translated by Brendan Higginbottom（USA）
SNOW COUNTRY
The heavy snow has blocked the mountain pass.
We ride horses between Heaven and Earth.
Laughter on horsebacks float in the wind.
Your lips are as red as wild roses,
my hair is black like smoke.
We meet on both sides of the river,
we are looking across two worlds.
We look inside and outside the castle,
we are looking across two worlds.
We are suddenly dizzy,
experiencing love and hate in a flash,
savouring joy and sorrow in a flash.
We extend our hands at the same time,
snow and ice have beating hearts.
That's how we go together
and spend a day in the Snowy Country.
From sunrise to sunset.
It will be over when we wake up,
and this day will be a lifetime.
GREAT DANCE OF SORROW
You stand center stage,
they all push you towards sorrow.
Backstage, some play the accompaniment;
behind you, some dance to the funeral music.
Standing center stage crying, there's only you.
This stage stands center of the Asian continent,
you are on the Pamir plateau wailing.
People come from all directions:
Asians play funeral marches for you
and Europeans dance along.
Wishing for death, you stand there.
You are the most ordinary person,
yet no one will let you be.
They sing for you, dance for you
to aid your sorrow process.
Until you give up all hope,
until you depart this world.
They'll grieve briefly and leave
to find the next eulogy.
Grave Liquor
We buried a jug of liquor in a grave
Buried last year under the moon
Dug up this year under the sun
We drink at either dusk or dawn
Looking at the girl's name incribed on the tomb
Rising or setting, we aren't sure of the sun
The jug of liquor in the grave was empty
Unaware when burried
Realized when retrieved
We think day and night of empty liquor jugs
Translated by Brendan Higginbottom（USA）
CROWN HIDDEN DEEP WITHIN
They're on a horse trotting towards me.
The horse is facing backwards,
the horse is entirely hoofless,
its back is packed with monkeys.
I reach out for a long vine,
it became a snake, scurried away.
Cold snakes do not have teeth;
storing burning venom in their belly.
Looking past the confused crowd
I see the Earth;
looking past the blurred Earth
I see you.
Across your dizzy, teary eyes rests a crown
and I want to break it to bits.
DOUBLE HEADED WHITE SWAN
A double-headed white swan came from two directions,
the double-headed white swan came at night.
The double-headed White Swan stopped on my head in the middle of Eurasia.
It watched the sunrise in the East and sunset in the West.
It said: “Asia is on the left and Europe is on the right.”
We prospered between two rivers.
The White Swan with two heads was flying around me in the black night sky.
I closed my eyes and it entered my body.
And now, the double-headed White Swan always flies towards me from two directions.
