A Double-headed Eagle over the Kremlin



A Double-headed Eagle over the Kremlin
By William He

With his penetrating eyes.
The clinching interlocking claws, a gyrating wheel.
He comes galloping down,
Leaves the portrait of a double head,
Tumbling loop around spire and silent reciprocating dive.
The clustered lamps of Heaven that burn.
An illusion in a flash.
Ivan IV lost on the moon of calico birch.
Ringing with the silhouette.
On the Cathedral of the Annunciation,
Cold quanta flow downwards from the sky-watering can.

One casts wavy shadows upon the walls.
The soaring arches lift him up on high,
Angel's heart suffered a chilly jet.
The steeples faded and seized by tarnished red flares.
Solitary lights burning dimly in the palace,
Man's divinity alive in stone,
He stands at the edge of a purple twilight this night.
He is hearing the moans before the dawn.

He can discern the trend.
He cautiously stretches talons.
This is not the foretaste of a harvest worth,
Piercing eyes and overflowing sense,
The characters wrung out like dishrags from time to time.
The peace garlands with the olive-bough,
Gentle breath calms untimely storms.
He soberly contemplates the earth.
A soaring glory and a grief,
In the sacred triangle curve.

兰陵王 克里姆林宫上空的鹰
作者:何威廉

寸眸凸。
忽掣云骞速滑。
腾如电,
金色双头,
越塔钟宸阙回斡。
星移紫阁歇。
时霎。
伊凡对月。
追斜影。
报喜教堂,
旋曲时空逆光脱。

缤纷起仓猝。
恰卷拱圆门,
天使伤别。
湿灵前圣母枞叶。
奈路灯昏暗,
鬼题孤独,
茫茫幻象夜色贴。
记旧年时节。

俯察。
爪钩蹑。
看客老红场,
车攒戈堞,
半妆狐兔轻飘拂。
想谁散谁逢,
消禳周折。
地迥风疾。
两惆怅,
五沮屈。

About this poem

A captivating and evocative poem that uses vivid imagery and symbolism to explore themes of power, history, and the human condition. The poet's use of language and imagery creates a sense of grandeur and mystery, drawing the reader into the world of the double-headed eagle and its significance.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on February 20, 2023

Submitted by chinamcc8 on December 13, 2023

1:20 min read
286

Quick analysis:

Scheme AX XXXXXXXXBAX XXBXXXXX XXCXXXXCXX
Closest metre Iambic dimeter
Characters 1,764
Words 267
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 2, 11, 8, 10, 2, 11, 8, 10

William He

William Yu He graduated from two of the most prestigious law schools in China respectively, also studied in Heidelberg, Cambridge and Harvard. He has already published dozens of Chinese classical poems and lyrics. The Incumbent President of China quoted his classic poem in 2017. The President of Harvard University recognized his achievements in June, 2021. more…

All William He poems | William He Books

9 fans

Discuss the poem A Double-headed Eagle over the Kremlin with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "A Double-headed Eagle over the Kremlin" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/176055/a-double-headed-eagle-over-the-kremlin>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    6
    hours
    27
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem ״Invictus״?
    A Sylvia Plath
    B Thomas Hardy
    C Oscar Wilde
    D William Ernest Henley