Between Clouds and Waters: The Poetic Worlds of Bian Haiyun

Bian Haiyun, whose evocative pen name means “Between Clouds and Waters,” is a Chinese poet of rare vision and emotional depth. Her works traverse the inner landscapes of the human spirit while capturing the vastness of nature and history with grace and sensitivity.

A member of multiple literary societies in China and a key figure in cultural initiatives, Bian Haiyun has carved a distinctive voice in contemporary Chinese poetry—one that is intimate yet panoramic, delicate yet profound.

At the core of Haiyun’s poetry is a deep ecological consciousness interwoven with existential insight. In “The Color of Grass”, she reflects on resilience and unnoticed suffering through the metaphor of grass:

“They never take humility and insignificance seriously / They even exist in emotions / Words such as pain, death, inferiority, and sadness / It’s all closed.”

Here, Haiyun elevates the commonplace to the philosophical, showing how even the smallest lives contain wisdom about endurance, fragility, and rebirth. Her poetic strategy is both observational and immersive—she often positions herself within nature, not above or outside of it.

In “Pneumoconiosis”, Haiyun moves from the pastoral to the painfully real, portraying the quiet agony of a miner suffering from lung disease. The poem humanizes the cost of labor and the dignity of survival:

“This hard lung, this hard fate / I can only do my best / Administer medication and oxygen, provide comfort and brief relief.”

She does not romanticize pain; instead, she renders it visible, audible, and intimate. Her compassion extends beyond metaphor, illuminating social truths with poetic clarity.

Another dimension of Haiyun’s poetic artistry is spiritual freedom—both imagined and reclaimed. In “Butterfly of Philosopher Zhuangzi”, she channels Daoist philosophy to imagine liberation from material burdens:

“Put on the wings of a butterfly and dance gracefully / Put down the gold, silver, copper, and iron ornaments / that have been crafted in the body for many years.”

In these lines, she invites the reader to dream of weightlessness and transcendence, reconnecting with the essence of being. The allusion to Zhuangzi’s butterfly dream is not just philosophical—it becomes a metaphor for transformation and poetic identity.

Haiyun’s poems are deeply rooted in place: the Mongolian plains in “Huitengxile Grassland”, the haunting grandeur of the “Great Wall on the Skyscraper Cliff”, and the dazzling modernity of “Dating with Dubai”. Each locale is not just described but felt—emotionally and spiritually—making her poetry a series of journeys, both geographic and inner.

Her poetic technique—marked by unforced lyricism, precise imagery, and philosophical undercurrents—allows her to traverse an impressive range of themes: ecological wonder, historical memory, spiritual awakening, and global connection. Whether reflecting on the humbleness of weeds or the dizzying heights of Dubai’s towers, Bian Haiyun reveals the world as a multilayered, breathing organism where beauty and sorrow coexist.

In a time when boundaries—geographical, emotional, and linguistic—often divide us, Bian Haiyun’s poetry reminds us of the enduring power of language to cross borders, touch hearts, and imagine alternative futures. She stands truly “between clouds and waters,” and from there, she writes poems that shimmer with insight, resilience, and the subtle music of the soul.

 Bio of Bian Haiyun

Bian Haiyun, Chinese poet. Her pen name means Between Clouds and Waters.Member of the Chinese Poetry Society. Member of the Chinese Prose Society and the Chinese Fable Literature Research Association. Editorial board member of Datong Poetry Association, Deputy Secretary General of Datong San Jin Culture Research Association, and overall planner of the Shanxi branch of the Chinese Poetry Spring Festival Gala. The works were published in “Star”, “People’s Daily”, “Writer’s Daily”, “Shanxi Literature”, “Yellow River”, “Mountain Wind”, “New Zealand”, “Australian New Zealand News”, “Poetry Palace”, “New Literature”, “2022 Chinese New Poetry Ranking List”, “2023 Chinese Good Poetry List”, “Spark”, and “Young Writers”. Published poetry collections such as “The Wind Blows Over the Border” and “Small Road in the World”.

The Color of Grass

Since spring, they have been managing themselves

They extended their tender buds one after another

All the way to the entire earth

All green and lush

These green sprouts, they don’t know what disaster and hardship are

Besides growth, it’s still growth

In order to survive, they have consumed pesticides

Accidentally injured by a hoe

But they believe it is necessary

They never take humility and insignificance seriously

They even exist in emotions

Words such as pain, death, inferiority, and sadness

It’s all closed

So they can die and be reborn under pesticides, herbicides, and hoes

I live happily every day

So I often hug my knees and sit next to them

So I often hide myself among the grass colors, even if

The smell of herbicides in the wind, I don’t know either

Get up easily

Huitengxile Grassland

I was Brought by a small yellow flower here

Its brilliant smile has become

the primary color of the vast grassland

Golden petals, woven together

The resounding Mongolian mother tongue

The singing of flowers seems to come from my heart

A piece of music, duet with the horsehead fiddle

It chats with idle cows and sheep all day long

In a small heart

There is a dictionary about vastness and freedom

I have been imprisoned in this world for too long

I no longer remember the appearance of freedom

Now, surrounded by the joy of a wildflower

My heart gallops across the distant grasslands

Pneumoconiosis

It accompanies a person deep underground for a kilometer

It accompanied a person countless times into the darkness

Over many years, dust accumulates

Infused in his breath, deposited in his lungs

Become a part of his life

They say he is a miner of light

Everyone knows he works hard for the sake of survival

For the sake of work, he dedicates his strength and life every day

In order to survive, a soft lung was pounded into a hard iron shell

To ensure smooth breathing

He even knelt on the bed

Put on a pillow and lie on the bed to sleep

He has purple lips and a deformed chest

Now, he is sitting in front of me

This hard lung, this hard fate

I can only do my best

Administer medication and oxygen, provide comfort and brief relief

When I wrote this poem, my lungs were still struggling to open and close

Becoming the silent pain of this work

It has also become the grand yet ordinary tone of this work

Butterfly of Philosopher Zhuangzi

The flowers are sleeping, the scenery of 90000 miles is waiting for you

Dreams come in various forms along the way

Can roam freely for five thousand years

I’m standing right in front of you

Hit by beams of free light with a single blow

Let go of sadness and joy, the world will be clear and the clouds will fade away

You smile in your dream, as if

All the light is caressing the rhythm of breathing

The coolness of the world melts away bit by bit

Put on the wings of a butterfly and dance gracefully

Put down the gold, silver, copper, and iron ornaments

that have been crafted in the body for many years

The body can be so light and agile

One look over, another look over

The butterflies of philosopher Zhuangzi are all dancing

Finally I put it down

The body can be so light and agile

Great Wall on the Skyscraper Cliff

 

The rammed earth has been collected

Clouds and smoke of the past millennium

Thoughts separated by the wind

A giant dragon

Rushing in the vast embrace of the north

More and more power

Gathered by the inner passion

The totem of the nation spirals northward like this

Circling out the vast and heavy

A book of history

How many beacon fires do they ignite and extinguish

Smoke rises and falls several times

Amidst the footsteps of history

It gradually shed its heavy armor

Put away the golden spear and iron horse

Put away a million heroes

The soul of the nation solidifies

In this undulating fluid

Who burned tragically in their past life

Who is watching alone in this life again

Dating With Dubai

Is it the frightened bird that looks up in the yellow sand

When stretching on Palm Island

The new moon is quietly climbing up the spire dome

A grain of sand yearns to merge into the trajectory of another grain of sand

A drop of water meets a drop of water thousands of miles away

A true love must be the overlapping of the radiance of the sun

At this moment, we are being lifted up by the Burj Al Arab

Exclaiming in a golden glow

At this moment, we witness the legend together with the UAE

How enchanting, I touch the reflection of the The Burj Khalifa

It stands tall, yet makes the world hear the echoes of the waves

One tower pierces through the clouds, while another rises from the ground.

A city is awakening

A green oasis emerges, a desert stretches out

The brightest eyes in the Middle East night sky

Looking at the Five Star Red Flag from afar, and shining together with it

Camels, pearls, silk, porcelain are listed in front of silk exhibition booths

With graceful dancing girls , crossing those gilded promises

Reflecting the origins of past and present lives

There is poetry tonight. Legend has it that resides on poetry

Freedom and soul will perfectly match

The mosque’s announcement ceremony sounded, and the music fountain beckoned to us

The grand literary feast of the Silk Road

Let us encounter a noble and lonely soul, hugging and flying

Let us appreciate mutually and understanding our souls