Yan Lianke's "Plants, Stones, Dirt, and Sky": A Poetic Meditation on Life's Mysteries
By
Yan Lianke, translated by Jeremy Tiang
Summary
A contemplative, lyrical excerpt from Yan Lianke's work (translated by Jeremy Tiang) that explores profound existential questions through the lens of everyday natural phenomena — the sun, moon, flowers, birds, and a brick wall. The piece adopts a childlike, wondering voice to meditate on life, time, mortality, and the mysteries of the physical world, blending poetic observation with philosophical inquiry.
Source
Twitter / XYan Lianke's "Plants, Stones, Dirt, and Sky": A Poetic Meditation on Life's Mysteriestheparisreview.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledWhy does the sun shine? Why does part of the moon go missing and then come back again?
How can a bird soar through the sky, clearly heading toward town, then without seeming to turn around end up sitting right there in the courtyard?
We've lived a hundred years, shouldn't we prepare for what comes next?
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