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Burning Rice

Original Poetry

Translation

Burning Rice

I didn't mean to burn the rice tonight.

I did not mean to burn the rice tonight.

Planting rice is hard work, as generations

‘Planting rice is never fun’ – generations

of people, ankle-deep in fields, bent over,

of men, women and children ankle-deep

immersing seedlings day after day, know.

in padi fields, bent double at the waist,

Finally, the harvest: sharp tools shining

immersing seedlings day after day.

in the sun, ripe grain stalks tossed

Finally, the harvest: sharp scythes glinting

into baskets carried like babies.

in the afternoon sun, stalks of ripened grain tossed

Next, the rice huller removes husks

into baskets strapped onto backs like babies too young

from the grains. Then, long hours are spent polishing

to walk. Next, the rice huller, churning husks

each dark grain to a pearly white. I forgot

away from the hearts. Then the long hours polishing

that brown rice needs more than twice

each dark grain into pearly white. I’d forgotten

the usual amount of water. I smelled it burning,

that brown rice needed more than double

then saw: burnt rice like black gold,

the usual measure of water. I smelt the charring,

my ancestors' ashes in a bowl.

then saw: scorched rice like black gold,

my ancestors’ ashes in a bowl.

Explanation

Eileen Chong's poem 'Burning Rice' reflects on the cultural and historical significance of rice cultivation, connecting it to personal and ancestral memories. The poem opens with a simple domestic mishap — burning rice — which serves as a gateway into a deeper reflection on the labor-intensive process of rice farming. The imagery of 'men, women and children ankle-deep in padi fields' evokes the physical toil and generational continuity involved in rice cultivation.

The poem moves through the stages of rice production, from planting to harvesting, highlighting the communal effort and care required. The 'sharp scythes glinting in the afternoon sun' and 'stalks of ripened grain tossed into baskets' paint a vivid picture of the harvest, while the 'rice huller, churning husks away from the hearts' symbolizes the transformation of raw material into sustenance. This process is likened to nurturing, as the baskets are 'strapped onto backs like babies too young to walk.'

Emotionally, the poem transitions from a mundane mistake to a profound meditation on heritage, culminating in the realization of 'scorched rice like black gold, my ancestors’ ashes in a bowl.' This line encapsulates the poem's tone of reverence and loss, as the speaker acknowledges the connection between the burnt rice and the sacrifices of their forebears.

Chong employs free verse to allow the imagery and themes to flow naturally, using metaphors like 'black gold' to convey the preciousness of rice and its cultural weight. The poem's structure mirrors the cyclical nature of farming and the continuity of tradition.

Ultimately, 'Burning Rice' speaks to the enduring legacy of cultural practices and the intimate ties between food, memory, and identity. It underscores the respect owed to the past and the ways in which everyday actions are imbued with historical significance.

Word Dictionary8

Word	In English	Plain (English)	Pron.
padi	rice field	a field where rice is grown	pah-dee
scythes	cutting tools	tools with long curved blades used for cutting crops	sai-thz
glinting	shining	reflecting light in small flashes	glin-ting
huller	machine that removes husks	a machine used to remove the outer covering of grains	hul-er
churning	stirring vigorously	mixing or agitating forcefully	churn-ing
husks	outer coverings	the dry outer coverings of seeds or fruits	huhsks
scorched	burnt	burned slightly on the surface	skorcht
ancestral	related to ancestors	pertaining to one's forebears	an-ses-tral

Poet & Context

PoetEileen Chong

EraContemporary

Eileen Chong is a contemporary poet born in Singapore and based in Australia. Her work often explores themes of cultural identity, heritage, and personal history. She has published several collections of poetry, with 'Burning Rice' being her debut collection.

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When2012

WhyThe poem reflects on cultural heritage and the laborious process of rice cultivation, drawing connections between personal and ancestral histories.

FormFree verse

Themes & More

Themes

cultural heritagelabor and toilmemory and identity

Literary devices

imagery: vivid descriptions of rice cultivation and processingmetaphor: 'black gold' to describe the burnt rice and its valuesymbolism: rice as a symbol of cultural and ancestral connection