Freelance writer and blogger Lian Yue rewrote the poem, Look Up to the Stars by China’s Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. Lian’s poem, from Niubo Net, translated by CDT:
I look up to the stars,
So vast and profound;
As abysmal as the road to the mine.
The infinite truth,
So hard for me to seek and follow.
I lost my trace like the missing slaves in the Shanxi kilns.
I look up to the stars,
So solemn and holy;
As noble as the milk-fed Olympics pigs.
The stern justice,
Fills me with love and respect.
Like facing the flames burning the poverty den.
I look up to the stars,
So free and peaceful;
Like the judges not moved by the injustice of Nie Shubin.
The broad mind,
Habitat for my soul, arms.
Of course, GFW is still indispensable.
I look up to the stars,
So magnificent and brilliant;
The eternal frenzy,
Ignite the flames of hope, sound the thunder of spring.
Oh, oh, oh, as hot as Molten Steel dissolving bodies,
As loud as the sound of Phoenix Bridge collapsing.
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The following is the original poem written by Wen Jiabao with his explanation of the poem’s inspiration, published on People’s net:
On May 14, 2007, I made an extemporaneous speech at the bell tower of the Architecture and Urban Planning School, Tongji University. I mentioned, “For a nation in which people are concerned about ‘the sky’, there is hope; for a nation in which people are only concerned about things ‘under their feet’, there is no future. Our nation is a promising nation! I hope that the fellow students often look up to the sky, learn in life, learn to think, learn skills and knowledge, and become people concerned with a nation’s fate.
I look up to the stars,
The infinite truth,
So hard for me to seek and follow.I look up to the stars,
So solemn and holy;
So vast and profound;
The stern justice,
Fills me with love and respect.I look up to stars,
So free and peaceful;
The broad mind,
Habitat for my soul, arms.I look up to stars,
So magnificent and brilliant;
The eternal frenzy,
Ignite the flames of hope, sound the thunder of spring.
