Suffering Does Not Destroy the Possibility of Suffering

Ma Yan
Translated from the Chinese

Suffering does not destroy the possibility of suffering, andliving does not do away with the art of self-hallucination. Inthe space of a life, the shellfish that pass through the cracksin the coral are a hidden, infinitesimal music which a hugeband is now playing, and the people march from the crackstowards a magnificent future. Yes, it is true, light will scatterfrom the lowliest of places, and all the ugliest of smellsare omens for war, but I sit on the rubbish pile singing,singing a song about the marriage of plastic and fire, a songwhich will sing the recluse underground up to the surface.When he comes to the surface the flowerless fruit will bloom,the shells will offer a crooked way out, and everythingonce again will descend, repeating until infinity. Just like this,he says, suffering does not destroy the possibility of suffering.

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Stephen Nashef lives in Beijing where he works as a translator and coder. He has translated the work of Ma Yan, Zhu Yu, and Yiwei Xue.

Summer 2019

Ann Arbor, Michigan

University of Michigan

Editor
Khaled Mattawa

Poetry Editor
Carlina Duan

Managing Editor
Aaron J. Stone

Michigan Quarterly Review is an interdisciplinary and international literary journal, combining distinctive voices in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, as well as works in translation. Our work extends online as well, where we publish cultural commentary alongside reviews and interviews with writers, artists, and cultural figures around the world. The flagship literary journal of the University of Michigan, our magazine embraces creative urgency and cultural relevance, aiming to challenge conventions and address long-overdue conversations. As we continue to promote an expansive and inclusive vision, we seek work from established and emerging writers with diverse aesthetics and experiences.

Twice a year, we curate an array of perspectives on a single theme. Past special issues have included writing on the Flint Water Crisis, the Great Lakes, Greece, China, and Caregiving.

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