by Yang Lian (b. 1955)
Translation by Brian Holton (b. 1949)
The Quickening
Language: English  after the Chinese (中文)
part 1: a pair of fleshy wings has just touched the moon under the water has time to move in the radiance that eliminates the ocean is finally pointed out when it is past part 2: one lip has been carved tender as grass and a tongue so vulnerable it can’t help crying out whatever was called hired flesh from the dead shadow dies again is only then shed to become human skin big white bird tiny baby wings of trees flapping from light slipping terribly towards the light that lays you bare part 3: a tiny white grain buried in your flesh illuminates you. because flesh is the only thing that can be lit up. the dead, they like a ceremony for childbirth part 4: cicadas in the body endlessly cry
Fragments from Yang Lian, Where the Sea Stands Still, transl. Brian Holton, Bloodaxe Books, 1999
Text Authorship:
- by Brian Holton (b. 1949), appears in Where the Sea Stands Still [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Chinese (中文) by Yang Lian (b. 1955) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Liza Lim (b. 1966), "The Quickening", 2005 [ soprano and guitar ], from Ceremony of the Seasons, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-02-14
Line count: 22
Word count: 132