A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF YEH WENFU
Yeh Wenfu was born in 1944 and is a native of Hu Bei Province. Yeh's father died when he was 9.
After he had graduated from the College of Education, he worked as а primary school teacher for 1 year. He joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) when he was 20. He was a soldier in the operations platoon and handled guns and explosives.
for
the
He began to write when he was 24. His poems were published in the Army's newspaper the following year. On one hand he organized programmes propaganda division, on the other hand he wrote tens of poems like "The Love Of Mountains".
On March 1971, Yeh Wenfu joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In '72 his poems were published in the "PLA News" and the "PLA Literature". In '78 Love
his first book of poetry, "The of Mountains", was published. In 1979. he released "A Swift In The Thunderstorm" and "General, You Can't Behave Like This". "General, You Can't Behave Like This" is his popular piece of work. This is a poem criticizing the General. The poet was heartbroken for the
"alienation" of the General. The PLA should be the "fellow soldiers of the people". But the General enjoys special privileges, seeking for luxurious dissipation. The poem raises objection and warning to the General. After it was published, some army leaders were upset and there were criticisms of the poem in various publications.
In 1980, Yeh won "The Outstanding Modern Poem By Chinese Poet" Award with "Oh, Motherland, I Am Burning".
Yeh
could not tolerate the enjoyment of privileges by senior officials in the army.
In 1981, he published "General. Please Wash Yourself", which was similar to the first "General in terms of theme, content, length and style. It was said that 25 Generals signed to demand sacking of Yeh from the Army and investigation of Yeh by the Central Disciplinary Commission. Later, CCP issued a document. criticizing Yeh his wrongdoings.
the
an
for
Yeh had been purged for several years. On 18 May 1989, the date before the declaration of martial law in Beijing, he went to Tiananmen Square to support the students on hunger strike, especially their objections to corruption, official profiteering and Special privileges. He read aloud his new works and declared his resignation from the CCP.
After the bloodshed on 4 June 1989. CCP began the massive arrests and purges against intellectuals. Yeh was arrested
in July, and was kept in Qin Cheng Prison in Beijing. He was sentenced for 15 years of imprisonment for "anti- revolutionary propaganda" and obstructing army vehicles in May 1989.
It was reported that after his arrest, he was treated with harshness and torture. He attempted to commit suicide on several occasions but was not successful. Hong Kong newspapers claimed that he finally succeeded in killing himself beginning of April 1990. The
at
the report
has yet to be confirmed. Please write to the Chinese Embassy in your country to demand information on the whereabouts of Yeh.
WUKESONG
are
is a place in five old pines
Wukesong (five pines) Beijing for there
Five old pines had died, and five new pines were planted at the same place,
Everyone nodded and praised: Everything remained unchanged.
If six new pines had been planted, someone would have been infuriated: "The situation has been like this centuries,
why should you break the tradition.
22 April 1780 in Beijing
AGONIZING LOVE
Last night. in the dream, I motherland
for
GENERAL, YOU CAN'T BEHAVE LIKE THIS
Yeh Wenfu wrote in introducing his famous poem "General, You Can't Behave Like This": History always moves in struggling to resolve new one after another. We are told that a high ranking General who Was cruelly persecuted by the Gang of Four, on returning to his command position.
gave orders to demolish а nursery So that his own house might be built. Several hundred thousand yuans worth of foreign exchange have been spent furnishing
forward problems
on
the house with all kinds of modern equipment.
The following are excerpts of "General, You Can't Behave Like This":
What do I say? How do I put it You
- - - -
a respected elder and I a latecomer. Between you and me were the warring years of the Thirties and the Forties. Criticizing you
thought of that.
I never, ever have
Maybe because of those hands you used to hold machine-guns blasting at the old world.
How unfortunate!
Oh.
saw you:
You were a big wooden cart on a rugged mountain path.
Pulled by slaves, trudging through the mud,
Yellow River, Yangtze River, were ruts trickling tears
two
You were carrying honour, as well as humiliation,
your wooden wheels were squeaking ideals, chanting songs.
I couldn't pull the excessive monuments and tears of yours,
I collapsed, you ran over my heart with difficulty
Motherland, I do love you
I am willing to lie down, filling up gullies on your way!
Don't worry about my agony, just run over me, just go forward
I do love you, motherland. my motherland
11 January 1979 in Beijing
my General with bullet scars all over your body. Forty years later, you heroic body has been pressured by your achievements into making so unsteady steps Wanting everything, you want all! Why? Why is it that you don't want anymore the oath you made when you joined the Party?
Why
is it that you don't want anymore the true colours of the proletariat? Shall the sparks ignited at Chingkan Mountains which could not be extinguished even by the water of the great rivers be put out by your cup of Mau Tai wine? Because the people will not be silent! And I wish the stanzas of my poems shall be endless thunders,
Accompanied by the fearless wind, striking right into
your heart
your ears, into
General, you can't behave like this.
民主牆
DEMOCRACY
WALL!
Editors'
note:
No: 14
1. The poems "Agonizing Love" and "Wukesong" have been translated by Leung Kay Fong,
Leung Chui Wah, Au Wai Hong, Wong Wai Man, Wong Hiu Kwun and Ngai Chi Keung, first year students of Translation at Lingnan College.
2.
of
Editorial assistance for this issue
Wall has been
Democracy
provided by students of Translation at Lingnan College and their tutor Mr Ng Huen Yan. The editors are however solely responsible for any mistakes in typing, spelling, grammar, etc.
Democracy Wall is a poster/information sheet published in both English and Chinese to further the cause of democracy and freedom in China/Hong Kong and is distributed free of charge to anyone interested.
The cost of publication is financed by donations by the editors themselves and supportive readers. If you are interested in receiving
past and new issues of Democracy Wall, send your name and address to Democracy Wall, P.0. Box 31340, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
14
of
have been
issues
Democracy Wall published: The 9.29 Incident in Hong Kong (English) Wang Ruowang (English) Wang Dan (English)
Wang Ruowang (Chinese) Wang Dan (Chinese) Ren Wanding (English) Ma Shaofang (English) Lau Shanqing (Chinese) Ren Wanding (Chinese) Ma Shaofang (Chinese) Han Dong Fand (Chinese) Han Dong Fang (English) Yao Yong Zhan (English) Yeh Wenfu (English)
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