Empire’s Pasture

by Hou Ma
     trs. by Wang Ping

During the Wanli period of Ming Dynasty
Shepherds from Shanxi
Herded thousands of sheep
Downstream
Along the Yellow River
Past the Huai River
Till they reached the Yangtze
The sheep roamed and grazed
Until winter arrived at the Dongting Lake
Until summer came and
The shepherds herded the sheep
Back to Shanxi
Years went by
Shanxi is now naked with yellow soil
Its Lowess plateau riddled with deep gorges
Impossible to herd sheep any more
But the sheep head soup stays on
Still tasty with the flavor of the Empire