The journal of

21st Century Chinese Poetry 《廿一世纪中国诗歌》is an independent journal committed to showcasing the best of contemporary Chinese poetry. We exist to discover and celebrate poetry and the Chinese poets who write them with the largest possible Anglophone audience.

In the early twentieth century, The May Fourth Movement (1917-1921) launched an era where vernacular Chinese was for the first time accepted as a legitimate poetic voice. This was followed by an outpouring of verse written in 'plain speech' by people from all walks of life in contrast to the classical, elitist poetic forms of imperial China.

A century has now passed since these 'new' poetic voices emerged. Vernacular poetry has continued to blossom in poetry journals and in cyberspace.

The editor and translators at 21st Century Chinese Poetry are committed to translating poets from across China who would otherwise remain virtually unknown to Western audiences.

Please send all enquiries, suggestions and corrections regarding 21st Century Chinese Poetry to Meifu Wang at:

editor@modernchinesepoetry.com.

Founder and Editor
Meifu Wang

A NEW SEASON OF POETRY

We are happy to continue our partnership with China's Poetry Journal (诗刊), a bi-weekly poetry journal, the oldest and widest-circulated poetry journal in China.

Every month editors of Poetry Journal provide us a set of poems from their latest publications for our team to screen and translate.

ABOUT CHINA POETRY JOURNAL 《诗刊》介绍

Poetry Journal（诗刊, Beijing, China） was founded in 1957 with an emphasis not only on the publication of contemporary Chinese poetry, but also the publication of classical poetry by living poets. In addition, it announces poetry gatherings and events across the country, hosts literary criticism forums, and supports poetry translation. The daily operations of the journal are supervised by The Chinese Writers’ Association.

Each month Poetry Journal publishes three paperback journals. The first paperback journal shows up on the shelf in the beginning of the month and features poems by established poets. The second paperback shows up in the middle of the month and features poems by emerging poets. The third is called The Sage Said, which features poetry in classical forms. The journal also maintains a website that broadcasts all matters related to poetry development in China; it has an audience exceeding half a million visitors daily.

Circulating close to sixty years, the journal has been at the forefront of publishing modern Chinese poetry, reflecting many of the sweeping changes that the country has witnessed over that period. The journal has also brought together and introduced a great number of fine poets, published a veritable styles of poems, and contributed to the continuous flowering of Chinese poetry.

POEM FOR THE WEEK 每週一首

SHEEP ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE

• by Fu Yuehui


• Meh meh, meh meh. The sheep bleat in the sun and strum
• a thin wire gently and loosen its old rust.
• Half hidden, half twinkling in the grass are tiny white flowers
• that we call “mutton grass”. But the sheep
• do not greet them, indeed these flowers look more akin to snow.
• The warm breeze blows ever so often, adding to the verdure of the hill
• and makes it look a whit taller. The mutton grass
• blink their eyes a few times, then melt into the mountain’s dark green.
• This is also the color of summer night. The blinking stars hang high,
• overlooking our little world. Meh meh, meh meh —
• one or two sheep are still on the mountainside, they bleat,
• and a few stars blink back; the sheep bleat again,
• and the stars blink back, and suddenly stumble
• and fall down to earth — this miracle was never mentioned
• by the old shepherd. By this time he is no longer with the sheep
• but somewhere about the foothill, either by a fire pit
• smoking a gurgling waterpipe, or hidden unseen under the thick grass
• in a tomb—the affairs of the world are too far removed.
• He lies in a narrow coffin, without a sound.


• Translated by Meifu Wang and Guy Hibbert
• Simultaneously broadcast in China via WeChat （微信） by our partner — China's Poetry Journal （诗刊）: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/h1SfFu6pHEjL7bQGjwLq-w