Li Po (Li Bai-701-762)

Summer Day in the Mountains

Too lazy to wave the white plume fan,
stripped to the waist in the green wood's mist,
I loose my headcloth, hang it on a stony wall,
bare my top knot for pine winds to riffle

(Translation by Burton Watson)

Hseih Ling-yun (385-433)

Written to Swap, at Tung-yang Creek

I
Pretty! Some man’s wife, for sure,
washing those so white feet in the stream.
And the moon, bright among the clouds:
far, so far away; just out of reach.

II
Pretty! He’s some girl’s husband…
Come on a white skiff adrift on the stream.
“Pray, what be thy purpose here,
as the clouds slip over the moon…? “

Wang Wei (701-761)

Deer Enclosure
Wang Wei

Hills are empty, no man is seen,
Yet the sound of people's voices is heard.
Light is cast into the deep forest,
And shines again on green moss.

Liu Yu-Hsi (772-842)

THE CITY OF STONES. (NANKING)

BY LIU YÜ-HSI

HILLS surround the ancient kingdom; they never change.
The tide beats against the empty city, and silently, silently, returns.
To the East, over the Huai River – the ancient moon.
Through the long, quiet night it moves, crossing the battlemented wall.

Li Ching Chao (1084-1181)

As in a Dream



To the melody of "Ru Meng Lin"

Last night in the light rain as rough winds blew,
My drunken sleep left me no merrier.
I question one that raised the curtain, who
Replies: "The wild quince trees -- are as they were."
But no, but no!
Their rose is waning, and their green leaves grow.


Li Ching Chao

Yosa Buson (1716-1784)

Blow of an ax,
pine scent,
the winter woods.


Translated by Robert Hass


Yosa Buson

Su Tung P'o (1037-1101)

Pu suan tzu


A fragment moon hangs from the bare tung tree
The water clock runs out, all is still
Who sees the dim figure come and go alone
Misty, indistinct, the shadow of a lone wild goose?

Startled, she gets up, looks back
With longing no one sees
And will not settle on any of the cold branches
Along the chill and lonely beach

Su Tung-po

Po Chu-i (772-846)

Grass on the Ancient Plain

So tender, so tender, the grasses on the plain,
in one year, to wither, then flourish.
Wild fire cannot burn them away.
Spring breezes’ breath, they spring again.
Their distant fragrance on the ancient way,
Their sunlit emerald greens the ruined walls.
Seeing you off again, dear friend.
Sighing, sighing, full of parting’s pain.

Chuang Tzu (4th cent. bc)

"Starshine and Non-Being "

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starshine asked Non-Being,

"Master, do you exist? Or do you not exist?"

Since he received no answer at all,

Starlight set himself to watch for Non-Being.

He waited to see if Non-Being would appear.

He kept his eyes fixed on the deep Void,

hoping to catch a glimpse of Non-Being.

All day long he looked.

He saw nothing.

He listened.

He heard nothing.

Then Starlight cried out at last: "This is IT!"

"This is the farthest yet! Who can reach it?

I can understand the absence of Being.

But who can understand the absence of Nothing?

If now, on top of all this, Non-Being exists,

Who can understand it?"