Time as Our Witness

Poem by Lan Xin (Lanxin Samei)

Three thousand years ago

You were the Lord of the Universe—the King of Kings

Known to gods and mortals alike, I was your cherished Queen

Then came the great catastrophe of the Three Realms

Tearing us apart abruptly, leaving us to grieve the love we lost

Since then, time has carried me

Across the Ten Directions and Dharmadhatus

Through six cycles of reincarnation

Reborn as a human, I walked the path of cultivation for nine lifetimes

Endured all the tribulations of the mortal world, just to meet you again

After three thousand years of wandering

I searched for you a thousand times among the crowds

And finally, today, three thousand years later

We reunite beneath the magnolia tree

Its dancing shadows whisper our ancient vows

In the moment our eyes meet

We see reflections of ourselves from three thousand years ago

And the endless search through lifetimes unfolds before us

Above the mortal world, you remain the supreme King of Kings;

Within the mortal world, you are also the finest man on earth.

Heaven and earth unite, with white cranes as their matchmakers

Sun and moon unite, with Venus as their matchmaker

Mountains and rivers unite, with gold as their matchmaker

Chestnut and pine trees unite, with bees as their matchmaker

Turquoise and black jade unite, with golden threads as their matchmaker

When you and I unite once more, who shall be our matchmaker?

Let three thousand years of time be our matchmaker

To witness our timeless love

For the rest of my life

I do not wish to return as the goddess of the Diamond Kingdom

I only wish to be the little woman in your arms

For the rest of my life

I do not wish to leave a legacy for a thousand years

I only wish to be with you, day and night

For the rest of my life

I do not wish to be a fairy in the clouds

I only wish to live fully as a mortal woman

For the rest of my life

I do not wish to be showered with thousands of affections

I only wish to nestle in the arms of you, the ultimate doting husband

For the rest of my life

I do not wish to return to the cosmic kingdom

I only wish to savor the love of this mortal world

Time as our witness

Heaven and earth as our testimony

May we be united for ten thousand years

And never part again

Time as Our Witness is an oriental love poem that transcends time and space and touches the soul. It outlines an extraordinary love spanning three thousand years with a grand mythological narrative and incorporates the classic linguistic elements depicting beautiful oaths from the Naxi Dongba Scriptures, making the romance and profound affection of oriental culture vividly expressed. Two souls were separated by the catastrophe of the Three Realms, and after traversing the Ten Directions and Dharmadhatus, going through six cycles of reincarnation and nine lifetimes of cultivation, they finally reunite under the magnolia tree. The vows in the swaying tree shadows and the gaze in each other’s eyes are the answers to the endless search through all lifetimes.

The poem combines the divine glory of the cosmic kingdom with the gentle companionship of mortal life. Letting go of all glory and fame, the poet only wishes to be the little woman in her beloved’s arms, staying together day and night. From the natural oaths of heaven, earth, mountains and rivers to the heartfelt confession with three thousand years of time as the matchmaker, the poem reveals the essence of love—it has nothing to do with status and glory, but only for rushing to one person and staying with them for a lifetime.

“Time as our witness, heaven and earth as our testimony” is a universal belief in love for all humanity. True love has no national boundaries or time and space constraints, and it is a romantic language connecting the whole world. On this Valentine’s Day, may the profound affection of this oriental love poem warm every heart that believes in true love in Greece and across the world. May all lovers be blessed by time, with their love lasting forever and never being separated.

My dearest Earth Daughter

I am the Cosmic Mother beyond primal chaos

Pluck a wisp of the Milky Way as your sash

Cut a swathe of nebula for your gown

With eons of time unspun

Weave an eternal vigil around you

Stellar orbits are the lines of my outstretched palm

Charting the distant path laid by the vast galaxy

Starlets are my soft, whispered reminders

Clinging to every step of your journey

Solar coronas are my blazing, tender gaze

Chasing the glow of your evolving prosperity

Lunar radiance is my gentle kiss

Pressed to your quiet window at night

With a shield of gravitational grace

Ward off all tempests beyond your stellar path

I have nurtured myriad star rivers

Yet hold only you, cherished, to my heart

Watch you birth green mountains and blue seas

Nurture countless plants and creatures

Watch you sow seeds of civilization

Breathe forth the fragrance of love

Watch you stumble through time’s tide

With innocence and unyielding grace

The cosmic wind breathes softly

It is me murmuring in your ear

Daughter, fear not

You rest safe in my celestial embrace

May love bloom as starlets

Adorning every fiber of your being

May the light of peace caress like dawn

Kissing every inch of your skin

May humans and nature dwell in harmony

Upholding the covenant of endless life

May all worldly strife disperse

Clear winds guiding you onward

May wisdom hold a lamp for you

Revealing your most radiant self

May you carry a glow within

Unfurling your unique light across the cosmos

Shining through the starry expanse

Honoring this celestial vigil

More so, may you, in motherhood’s name

Pass this love down through endless generations

Protecting every child of yours

And the children of your children

Regardless of gender or clan

Let love and compassion cradle your lands

You are the one-of-a-kind treasure in my palm

A peerless gift forged by the cosmos over eons

With eternity as threads and love as weft

I wrap around your springs, summers, autumns, winters

With nebulae as my bosom and tolerance as my realm

Embracing all your past

In my celestial embrace

Grow toward the light unshaken

Let love and peace

Seep deep into every inch of your soil

Walk with you through eons of time’s currents

Coexisting and shining with myriad star rivers

Becoming the most touching ode to life in the firmament

Let this great love break free from time’s chains

Flow endlessly among the stars

As fiery as a supernova’s blaze

As enduring as a galaxy’s spiral arms

Guiding the legacy of your bloodline

Let love span ages untold

Taking root and blooming in every child’s heart

Shining alongside sun and moon

Enduring with the boundless galaxy

Through endless ages

Forever thriving

Footnote

Lan Xin, through the tender voice of the Cosmic Mother and grand cosmic imagery, conveys her profound wishes for Earth and humanity: may love and peace spread across the world, may humanity and nature coexist in harmony, and may this timeless love nourish all beings, pass down through generations, and become an eternal force for good in the world.

Predestined for Three Lifetimes
Poem by Lan Xin (Lanxin Samei)

What is fate?
It is the inevitability meant to be, beneath the guise of chance.
A promise made in a past life, that brings us together in this one.
Fate is an unplanned meeting of hearts;
the moment our eyes meet,
the shadow of a former life reflects in each other’s gaze.
That unfulfilled love,
that lifelong longing—
We stand across a glimmering stream,
silent, with unspoken words in our hearts.
Through joy and sorrow in this life, I pledge to you;
I hold your hand, and grow old with you together.
Even a single encounter,
becomes an unforgettable love deep in the soul.
Do you believe?
In this world,
there is always a pair of discerning eyes
that sees through the countless crowds,
and leads the lifelong longing of the heart.
Our fate is predestined, for three lifetimes.

This poem centers on the karmic bond of “three lifetimes”, unfurling the emotional arc of a fateful encounter in a past life, lifelong companionship in the present, and a heartfelt promise for the next. It weaves profound, enduring love into the predestined connection, with every line embodying the longing for an unbroken togetherness
through all life’s joys and sorrows. “Three lifetimes” is both a classic philosophical concept denoting the past, present and future existences in traditional culture, and a vivid embodiment of this love that transcends reincarnation and remains unyielding for all eternity.

Love Fated at the Potala Palace

At last, I stand before thee
Like a young butterfly fresh from its cocoon
Rejoicing, my eyes glinting with starlight
Dost thou know? Long e’er this moment
I have turned to gaze at thee a thousand times
Thou hast, in truth, stood lofty in my heart all along
Yet thou art so grand, so towering
I feared my slender fingers could not twirl the prayer wheel
I feared the highland could not bear my lonely cold
I feared I might fall short of thy ageless vow
So to thee
I could but gaze in awe, never dare draw nigh
And thus I waited
For a mighty eagle
To bestow me strength
To lead me to thy side
At last, I stand before thee
The moment I step upon thy halls
A flame of hope surges in my breast
My heart
Is like the blazing starry firmament
Abloom with hues of radiant light
Blossoms of grace and rapture
Burst forth in my heart’s sky, like glowing neon flames
In this hour
I no longer keep my reverent distance
I have at last drawn close to thee
In this hour
All fear is gone from me
For
A mighty eagle
Doth lend me its strength

This poem traces the emotional journey of approaching the Potala Palace, depicting the transformation from yearning with awe and hesitation to finally drawing near fearlessly. With metaphors of a young butterfly and a mighty eagle, and Tibetan symbols like the prayer wheel and the highland, it weaves the poet’s reverence, hope
and eagerness for the Potala Palace into every line. It lays bare the anxiety of venturing alone to the highland, and more vividly expresses the relief and resolve of embracing the sacred land and hearting the light, empowered by love and strength.

Fated

We chanced upon one another
On that afternoon when the storm had passed
A casual brush of hearts, unplanned
Like the long-awaited rainbow
That blazed across my firmament
With a burst of iridescent glow, in an instant
If
‘Twixt thee and me
It is fated to be but a fleeting encounter
I would blaze like a firework bright
At the moment thou gazest up at the starry vault
Unfolding a lifetime of grace in one brilliant bloom
If
‘Twixt thee and me
It is fated to be a soulful kinship
I would be a pure lotus in the lake
We gaze into each other’s eyes in quiet repose
Never clasping each other’s hands
Yet my fragrance permeates thy heart
Soft and lingering, far and profound
If
‘Twixt thee and me
It is fated to be a lifelong bond
I would be a mild, delicate orchid
In thy life
Now nigh, now far
Now intense, now faint
Now blushed, now plain
Through spring’s bloom and winter’s frost
Breathtaking forth fragrance for all eternity
If
‘Twixt thee and me
It is fated to be naught at all
I only wish
A seed of sweet goodness
Might take root and sprout in thy heart, from this day forth
Growing into a tree of wishes

And in the next life
All our fated desires may find their full fulfillment

This poem eulogizes the destined love between two hearts with four layered suppositions. It weaves the beauty of fleeting encounter, the tenderness of soulful understanding, the warmth of lifelong companionship and the mild hope of unfulfilled fate into vivid metaphors of rainbow, firework, lotus, orchid and wishing tree,
expressing the sincere and selfless love that follows the will of fate and cherishes every possible bond with the beloved.

To the Angel

Angel, what is it, what bids you fall to the mortal world?
What is it, what makes you cling to this earthly dust?
Angel, what is it, what breaks your wings in twain?
What is it, what fills your eyes with tears?
Angel, you once soared on wings,
striking the blissful chord;
you once blinked eyes like autumn rills,
holding bright wishes in their glow;
you once outstretched your arms,
scattering sunlight all the way.
Yet on that pitch-black cold night,
a deafening crack rent the sky—
I saw your blood-stained wings,
your broken heart entwined.
Angel, do you blame your hasty leap to the world?
Do you regret the reckless moth’s flight to the flame?
This mortal world of strife was never yours,
the past like wispy smoke, gone in a blink.
Only the trace of your flight remains—
a crystal heart-lantern,
spilling radiance o’er the ground,
like your glistening tears.

This poem addresses an angel with tender inquiries, lamenting its fall to the mortal world: broken wings, tearful sorrow, and the shattering of its once blissful existence in a bleak cold night. It wonders if the angel regrets its hasty descent yet reminds that mortal strife was never its load. The past fades like smoke, but the trace of its flight
lingers as a crystal heart-lantern, spilling radiance like its glistening tears—its pure light enduring through fragility and loss.

Internationally acclaimed bilingual writer, poet and translator, member of the Chinese Writers Association. The only female inheritor of UNESCO-listed Dongba Culture, International Disseminator of Dongba Culture and practitioner of Chinese culture’s global outreach. Winner of the Italian Francesco Giampietri International Literary Award, President of Lanxin Samei Academy and Dean of Yulong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy.