In honor of Chinese New Year and the newly arrived Year of the Dragon, here’s an excerpt from Xi Chuan’s poem “Dragon” 龙:

没见过五爪龙。也没见过四爪龙、三爪龙。神龙当然见首不见尾。

“潜龙勿用”的说法有人牢记在心。第二天醒来他发现已是天翻地覆 。

Never seen a five-clawed dragon. Never seen a four-clawed dragon, or a three-clawed dragon. Of course, the dragon shows his face but not his tail.

Some know the expression “The dragon hides—act not” by heart. Waking the next day you find your whole world turned upside-down.

Happy new year!