A fresh poetry translation from Cang Bai on the humble wheat crop
我说麦子等秋天
你马上笑我
肯定没见过麦子
Another Kind of Wheat | Poetry is a story from our issue, “Promised Land.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine. Alternatively, you can purchase the digital version from the App Store.
Born in Chengdu, Sichuan, Cangbai first posted his poems on Douyin in 2020 and immediately struck a chord with the platform’s young audience. In just two months, his followers grew from zero to 200,000. He has previously worked on providing psychological aid to troubled youths and suicide prevention through Goodnight, the late-night radio channel and online community he has founded. Cangbai’s first poetry collection, Embracing You and the World (《抱着你和人间》), was published in early 2021.
Translated By
Nathaniel Gan is a translator working from Chinese and Spanish to English. He translates poetry, fiction, and first-person narratives for TWOC. His background in activism, farming, education, and design has provided a fertile training ground for navigating the space between worldviews, where meaning depends as much on context as content. Based out of Providence, Rhode Island, Nathaniel collaborates with poets and writers in the US and internationally.
