A poem by the Mongolian scholar-poet Zava Damdin (b. 1976). Please refer to the Index of Mongolian Poetry and Articles for other works that may be of interest.

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A PLUM IS BLOSSOMING

(English Translation)

Where you are, plum trees are blooming
Where I am, a snowstorm brings together Earth and Sky
But my inner garden is overflowing, with plum blossoms and all comforting flowers
In a warm lake that never freezes, an assembly of flourishing lotuses smile

Your homeland is brushed by the ocean’s warm breeze
A wrathful storm rages across the steppe in mine
But the melodious soft wind of my inner ocean caresses my heart
I feel even the breath of those faraway swans twittering in my heart’s calyx

In your country, a forest of juniper incense trees gracefully unveils its leaves
In my country, sand dunes rise up passionately and wrathfully dance
Whilst external appearances are so, my inner garden remains fragrant
Even the beautiful way a legendary wish-fulfilling tree grows is so miraculous!

Pure Land of Swoyambhu
Zava Damdin
21.03.2023

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Translated by Zava Damdin and C.Pleteshner
English interpretation 27.03.2023 from the original Mongolian 21.03.2023.

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БУЙЛС ЦЭЦЭГЛЭЖ БУЙ

(Original Mongolian)

Чиний байгаа газар буйлс аль хэдийн цэцэглэж буй ажээ
Миний байгаа газар цасан шуурга тэнгэр газрыг нийлүүлэх мэт байнам
Гэвч дотоод сэтгэлийн цэцэглигт буйлс гаварын цэцэгс бүгд буй
Бүр үл хөлдөгч бүлээн нууранд нь лянхуан чуулган мөшилзөн байнам

Чиний байгаа нутагт далайн салхи дулаахан сэвэлзэн буй ажээ
Миний байгаа нутагт тал нутгийн догшин шуурга эрчлэн байнам
Тийн боловч дотоод сэтгэлийн далайн зөөлөн  салхи аялгуу илбэн буй
Тэртээх алсын хун шувуудын амьсал ч зүрхний цоморлигт ганганан байнам

Чиний байгаа оронд арц хүжсийн ой шугуй навчлан гунхалзах аж
Миний байгаа оронд элсэн манхан угалзлан босч үймцэн бүжиж байнам
Гадаад үзэгдэлд тийн авч дотоод зүрхний цэцэглиг үргэлжид анхилан байнам
Галбир зандан галбарваасан хүртэл домгийн мэт үзэсгэлэнтэй буй

Соёмбот Орон
Зава Дамдин
21.03.2023

Translation is always an interpretation into another culture.

Excluding the preparatory training and clarity of narrative structure and ideation required, the journey of such compositions tends to move through three phases, starting with: (i) the creation of the original composition with the vertical Mongol Bichig Script; (ii) the subsequent transfer and rendering of this transcript into the Mongolian Cyrillic Script; and then on to, (iii) a (British) English language interpretation, such as you see here.

I bring to this interpretive exercise my own particular collection of English language narrative skills and their imagined audiences. From this perspective, a final English language version of a narrative emerges as a negotiated text.

End of transcript.

Refer to the INDEX for other articles that may be of interest.

© 2013-2026. CP in Mongolia. “Mongolian Poetry 02: A Plum is Blossoming” is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Open access should not be understood as the absence of attribution. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. Posted: 24 March 2024. Last updated: 10 September 2026.