A Farmer’s Homeland by Tu Niu
Poem shaping and mapping the joys and difficulties of the farmer in China
A farmer’s homeland, is gathered in his palm of land
He never walks out of the crop line of sight, for his lifelong
Harvests of blossom in spring and fruit in autumn
A farmer’s sweat permeates into soil, unnoticed, so –
It never stops pouring, that his pieceof land
Is neither thirsty nor barren
A farmer’s power is small, so –
He plows, hoes, and shoulders his rice
That his homeland is full of vigor at all times
The loud sounds of chant
Echo in the sky, so rivers and mountains
Are immersed in excitement
That they can’t hold back their great joy
A farmer’s intention
Never stays overnight, so he works until dawn
To uproot weeds that prevent his aspiration
A farmer’s homeland is narrow, so –
He defends its territory: a village, and a few ridges
That he persists across generations, and
Keeps fostering his daughters and sons
How vast a farmer’s homeland!
The Map of Rooster, hung high on the wall, daily patrolling
Records a farmer’s footprints on his homeland
About The Author
