Crossing Open-Anew Lake
A fisherman's taking his boat across the lake.
My old eyes trace his path all the way, his precise
wavering in and out of view. Then it gets strange:
suddenly he's a lone goose balanced on a bent reed.
On a Boat, Crossing Through Peace Humane District (No.3)
Out on the merest wisp of a fishing boat, two small boys
give up the struggle. They ship their paddles and just sit.
It seems so strange. No rain in sight, they start opening
umbrellas. Not for shelter. They want so sail on the wind!
Translated by David Hinton.
In relation to this: http://skyraft.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/pedernal-for-georgia-okeeffe/
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Saturday, 14 July 2012
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Poems (Various)
Translated by Red Pine:
Traveling on the Yangtze
So close but plagued by wind and rain
I can't climb Kuanglushan
I wonder if in those mist-hidden caves
any Six Dynasty monks still dwell
by Ch'ien Hsu
The Meditation Hall behind Poshan Temple
I entered an ancient temple at dawn
the rising sun lit the tall trees
a trail led off to a secluded place
to a meditation hall in a flowering wood
where mountain light pleased the hearts of birds
and pond reflections stilled men's minds
the ten thousand noises were hushed
all I heard was a bell
by Ch'ang Chien
Written at the Sungting Relay Station
Hill shapes merge with the far-off sky
east of the mist-covered marshlands
the ocean glows with the day's first light
the river turns white in the distant wind
steep trails lead to a high plateau
small paths link columns of smoke
why are all my retired friends
not here among the Five Lakes
by Chang Hu
Climbing a Mountain
All day I feel lost as if drunk or in a dream
the I hear spring is over and force myself to climb
passing a bamboo courtyard I meet a monk and talk
and spend another afternoon beyond this floating life
by Li She
Helped to inspire this post: http://skyraft.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/dragon-breath-river/
Traveling on the Yangtze
So close but plagued by wind and rain
I can't climb Kuanglushan
I wonder if in those mist-hidden caves
any Six Dynasty monks still dwell
by Ch'ien Hsu
The Meditation Hall behind Poshan Temple
I entered an ancient temple at dawn
the rising sun lit the tall trees
a trail led off to a secluded place
to a meditation hall in a flowering wood
where mountain light pleased the hearts of birds
and pond reflections stilled men's minds
the ten thousand noises were hushed
all I heard was a bell
by Ch'ang Chien
Written at the Sungting Relay Station
Hill shapes merge with the far-off sky
east of the mist-covered marshlands
the ocean glows with the day's first light
the river turns white in the distant wind
steep trails lead to a high plateau
small paths link columns of smoke
why are all my retired friends
not here among the Five Lakes
by Chang Hu
Climbing a Mountain
All day I feel lost as if drunk or in a dream
the I hear spring is over and force myself to climb
passing a bamboo courtyard I meet a monk and talk
and spend another afternoon beyond this floating life
by Li She
Helped to inspire this post: http://skyraft.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/dragon-breath-river/
Saturday, 4 February 2012
A poem by Po Chu-I
In The Mountains
It will come: the great transformation of seas to mulberry fields.
Heaven and earth seething, all wind-churned swells and billows,
feasting whales and battling dragons will turn the waves to blood.
But what do these fish know, happily wandering a deep stream?
By Po Chu-I, translated by David Hinton.
It will come: the great transformation of seas to mulberry fields.
Heaven and earth seething, all wind-churned swells and billows,
feasting whales and battling dragons will turn the waves to blood.
But what do these fish know, happily wandering a deep stream?
By Po Chu-I, translated by David Hinton.
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