Touched

Few things move me to tears, but hearing He Xiaozhu read his poem on NPR did. He was at a teahouse in Chengdu when the quake hit.

Here is the Chinese:



And the English translation:

Thousands upon thousands of anguished cries
Returning to silence and tranquillity
Heavenly acts cannot be predicted
The moon over Wenchuan
Still, a question mark
Aftershocks extend to Chengdu
Sorrow engulfs half the world
Tears turn to ice
Let candlelight melt them away
Children, climb on a dandelion
and line up for heaven

NPR's coverage in China has been extraordinary. Yet of all the reports and interviews, this little snippet has been the one that really hits home. Sometimes it just takes an artist's touch.