bonne nuit

Good night, you fortunate ones
Apples in red and green nestled in four seasons
No one told me. But I am fascinated
With your peaceful dreams. Good night

You horses swollen in the wind
You children who've sung and played all day
You timid, sentimental, eccentric
Sleepers and sleepwalkers

Good night, you toiling, suffering, grudging ones
Who, at nightfall, let out
Cries of terror! And you -
The proud bird who refuses to fly
The sky's vanished, death is yet to come

Good night, you
Mothers blossoming in golden rain
Good night, you not yet saddened beauty
Tomorrow is only superstition
While it's still dark, sleep a little more

Good night, the house inside my life
My luxurious paradise of flesh and blood
And the roses and books I placed within. Good Night
The clamoring soul is now tired
Fury climbs to the roof, wishing you all good night, again

-Zheng DanYi


Image courtesy of Audrey Hepburn Complex