Mei Yao-ch'en (1002-1060)

Staying Overnight in Hsü’s Library, Hsieh Shih-hou and I Are Driven Crazy by Rats

(Mei Yao-ch'en: 1002-1060)

 

Lamp flame low and blue, everyone asleep,

hungry rats come sneaking out of holes

 

and send plates and bowls crashing over,

startling us from our dream-filled sleep.

 

Bang— an inkstone tumbles off the table,

and we panic. Next they’re on the shelves

 

gnawing at books. Suddenly my silly boy

starts meowing like a cat! Goofy plan, eh?

Li Bai (701-762)

DOWN ZHONGNAN MOUNTAIN
TO THE KIND PILLOW AND BOWL OF HUSI

Down the blue mountain in the evening,
Moonlight was my homeward escort.
Looking back, I saw my path
Lie in levels of deep shadow....
I was passing the farm-house of a friend,
When his children called from a gate of thorn
And led me twining through jade bamboos
Where green vines caught and held my clothes.
And I was glad of a chance to rest
And glad of a chance to drink with my friend....
We sang to the tune of the wind in the pines;
And we finished our songs as the stars went down,
When, I being drunk and my friend more than happy,
Between us we forgot the world.

Yu Xuanji (844-869)

暮春即事 魚玄機 深巷窮門少侶儔， 阮郎唯有夢中留。 香飄羅綺誰家席？ 風送歌聲何處樓？ 街近鼓鼙喧曉睡， 庭閑鵲語亂春愁。 安能追逐人間事， 萬里身同不繫舟。

the late spring by Yu Xuanji lovers seldom come to this deep alley their spirits have to linger on in dreams whose fragrance of damask is this? from which tower does this breeze blow the song? sounds of drums in the street disturb my morning sleep magpies chirping in the courtyard confuse my spring sorrows how can I care for things of this world? ten thousand miles, my life, like a boat unmoored

Xue Tao (768-831)

鷹離鞲 薛濤 爪利如鋒眼似鈴， 平原捉兔稱高情。 無端竄向青雲外， 不得君王臂上擎。

the eagle away from the oversleeve by Xue Tao claws sharp as blades eyes acute as tinkling bells hunted rabbits over the plain received high praise for no reason soared into serene clouds I must not again be held on the emperor’s shoulder

Yuan Zhengzhen (c.1200)

長相思 袁正真 南高峰，北高峰， 南北高峰雲淡濃。 湖山圖畫中。 采芙蓉，賞芙蓉， 小小紅船西復東。 相思無路通。

paddling the lake to the tune of changxiangsi (long lovesickness) by Yuan Zhengzhen to the north to the south mountains loom in the clouds these mountains, this lake, this scene as if painted I pluck a lotus for pleasure paddling a red boat west to east no path to the one I miss

Shang Qin (20th cent.)

Ever since she left, this cat has been coming in and
out of my place as she pleases; doors, windows, even
walls can’t stop her.

When she was with me, our life made the sparrows
outside the iron gate and iron-barred windows envious.
She took care of me in every way, including bringing me the
crescent moon with her hands on nights when there was a power outage,
and emitting cool air by standing next to me on humid summer
nights.

I made the mistake of discussing happiness with her.
That clay, contrary to my usual reticence, I said:
“Happiness is the half that people don’t have.” The
next morning, she left without saying goodbye.
She’s not the kind of woman who would write a
note with lipstick on the vanity mirror. She didn’t
use a pen either. All she did was inscribe these words
on the wallpaper with her long sharp fingernails:
“From now on, I will be your happiness, and you
mine.”

Ever since this cat started coming in and out of my
place as she pleases, I have never really seen her, for
she always comes at midnight, leaves at daybreak.

Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072)

Scraps Of Cloud In Rosy Dusk

Scrap rosy cloud evening rays west lake good
Flower bank duckweed sandbar
Ten qing ripple peaceful
Wild bank without person boat self line

West south moon on float cloud scatter
Veranda railing cool born
Lotus scent clear
Water face wind come wine face sober
Scraps of cloud in rosy dusk- West Lake is good.
Flowers on the bank, duckweed on sand,
A hundred acres of peaceful ripples,
On the overgrown bank, no man- just the stroke of a boat.

South-west, across the moon, scattered clouds are drifting.
Cool rises at the terrace rail,
Lotus flowers' scent is clear,
Wind from the water's face makes the wine face sober.

 

Ouyang Xiu :

Liu Zongyuan (773-819)

River Snow

Thousand hill bird flight cut
Ten thousand path person trace end
Lonely boat big straw hat old man
Alone fish cold river snow
A thousand hills, but no birds in flight,
Ten thousand paths, with no person's tracks.
A lonely boat, a straw-hatted old man,
Fishing alone in the cold river snow.

 

Liu Zongyuan :

Fengkan (fl. 9th cent.)

I have been to Tientai

maybe a million times

like a cloud or river

drifting back and forth.

Roaming free of trouble

trusting the Buddha's spacious path

while the world's forked mind

only brings men pain.