Blessings for Yushu

Popular photo on Tibetan blogs commemorating the earthquake of April 14, 2010

It's been a year since a devastating earthquake struck Kyegundo (Ch: Yushu) in eastern Tibet on April 14, 2010. To commemorate the first year anniversary, the Tibetan blogosphere has been awash for the past two weeks with blogposts, photos and poems remembering the incident. High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a poem written for the anniversary by a female Tibetan blogger called Lhakyi Dolma and posted on her blog on April 1, 2011. 

The recovery programmes are still ongoing, those who wish to donate to this important work can visit the pages of Tibetan Village Project in the US and Tibet Foundation in the UK.

Popular photo on Tibetan blogs commemorating the earthquake of April 14, 2010

Blessings for Yushu



-- Written for Yushu on the first anniversary of the earthquake





A thousand butter lamps are lit for yesterday

Palms together in prayer, contemplating your name

Looking to the Source of Three Rivers from afar

That pure earth nurturing ten thousand souls

Gently carrying along my initial greeting

Yushu, are you well?




A stick of incense is burned for today
Facing the Buddha statue, offering thanks from the heart

Olive green, maroon red

You are the most faithful protective deity of the Land of Snows

Offering a pure white khata

Turning deep kindness into strength
Let the sun's warm ray

Carry along a greeting

Yushu, are you well?



Observing the dawn and dusk of Batang's grasslands

You can still dance with your long sleeves
You can still recite "Gesar"

If there are smiles, let them blossom
If there are tears, let them float
The earth embraces us

We embrace today

We calmly passed, scattering seeds and growing
Looking up at the source of Three Rivers

Gently carrying along my greeting

Yushu, are you well?



Prostrating, praying for the welfare of living beings
Spring’s recovery accompanied by the heartbreak

But the heart that is brave, can only carry on towards happiness

Sacred mountain Gardo Jowo still shines like silver

Flowers will still bloom, eagles will still take flight
Glaciers, snow mountains, pastureland, cows and sheep

Have been the mark of this land all along

The quiet greeting caresses and soothes the pain

Yushu, are you well?

The strong Khampa children possess power bestowed to them by the 
plateau
Tomorrow's happiness is already underway

The sun rays always greet us from ahead
Blessings for Yushu

Gently carrying my greeting

Yushu, take good care of yourself



April 1, 2011

Chabcha