The Central Kingdoms
I see the
golden dragon rising from
The mists of
time, from those ancient shadows
When giants
roamed the planet and the
people
scattered from Babel settled there.
They made their
home in a magic land
A land fed and
made lush by golden rivers,
A land made
safe by deserts and mountains,
A land made
just by Xuanyuan’s governance.
Then do the
strange and beautiful characters
Appear to bear
witness to the generations that
Were born
since, to the teachings of Master Kong,
To the states
that were to unite all under heaven.
Qin Shi Huang’s
ruthless hand was to bond
Them in a
lasting marriage, lasting romance,
And ageless
dance, where art and learning
Flourished, and
like the sun, illuminated its orbit.
Some poor
visitors from the West came to see
The
civilization that could any barbarian sword
Eat, and seeing
the wonders they beheld
Brought report
of flying gold and shining silks.
They were
stupefied to sing of the teachings
Of the Socrates
of the East, of the porcelain
They touched,
of the millions souls to win for
Christ – and
the empire the mandarins cared for not.
This the
princelings of Europe did not understand,
Who flung wide
fleets and treasure to land
First flags,
then men with arms to enslave
And claim
empire over seas – but the Chinese had it.
So mysterious
it yet remains, this nation
So great and
powerful, that alone thought
Us beautiful,
and so acknowledged the marriage
And destiny
that old and new would bind.
It still stands
as the empire of Polo’s lore,
Though laid low
and desecrated by the proud
And ruthless
nations, envious of the prestige no coin
Can buy, the
immortality by hand divine given.
Like Our Lady’s
nation, broken up it once again
Joined in a
crazy, modern movement to a
Strange and
alien music – but both the eagle and
Dragon will
rise, to rule the peoples in wisdom’s glory.
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