http://www.darsie.net/library/lipo.html Li Po (AD 701-762) Selected Poems Translated by Rewi Alley Source: Li Bai: 200 Poems, Hong Kong, 1980 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Visiting a Taoist on Taitien Mountain Amongst bubbling streams a dog barks; peach blossom is heavy with dew; here and there a deer can be seen in forest glades! No sound of the mid-day bell enters this fastness where blue mist rises from bamboo groves; down from a high peak hangs a waterfall; non knows where he has gone, so sadly I rest, with my back leaning against a pine. The Cold Clear Spring at Nanyang A pity it is evening, yet I do love the water of this spring seeing how clear it is, how clean; rays of sunset gleam on it, lighting up its ripples, making it one with those who travel the roads; I turn and face the moon; sing it a song, then listen to the sound of the wind amongst the pines. On Kusu Terrace The old gardens of Kusu Terrace are a wilderness, yet the willows that remain still put out new branches; lasses gathering water chestnuts sing so loudly and with such clarity, that the feeling of spring returns to us; but where once stood the palace of the King of Wu, now only the moon over the west river once shone on the lovely ladies there. Alone and Drinking Under the Moon Amongst the flowers I am alone with my pot of wine drinking by myself; then lifting my cup I asked the moon to drink with me, its reflection and mine in the wine cup, just the three of us; then I sigh for the moon cannot drink, and my shadow goes emptily along with me never saying a word; with no other friends here, I can but use these two for company; in the time of happiness, I too must be happy with all around me; I sit and sing and it is as if the moon accompanies me; then if I dance, it is my shadow that dances along with me; while still not drunk, I am glad to make the moon and my shadow into friends, but then when I have drunk too much, we all part; yet these are friends I can always count on these who have no emotion whatsoever; I hope that one day we three will meet again, deep in the Milky Way. Song of the Jade Cup A jade cup was broken because old age came too soon to give fulfilment to hopes; after drinking three cups of wine I wiped my sword and started to dance under an autumn moon first singing in a high voice then unable to halt tears coming; I remember the day when first I was summoned to court and I was feasted splendidly writing poems in praise of the Emperor, making jokes with officials around several times changing my horse, taking the best from the imperial stables; with my whip studded with jade and coral presented to me by the Emperor, my life was free and easy, people calling me the "Banished Immortal." Hsi Shih was good at smiling as well as frowning, useless for ordinary girls to try and imitate her. Surely it was only her loveliness the king adored, but unfortunately jealousy within the palace led to her death. Good Old Moon When I was a boy I called the moon a white plate of jade, sometimes it looked like a great mirror hanging in the sky, first came the two legs of the fairy and the cassia tree, but for whom the rabbit kept on pounding medical herbs, I just could not guess. Now the moon is being swallowed by the toad and the light flickers out leaving darkness all around; I hear that when nine of the burning suns out of the ten were ordered to be shot down by the Emperor Yao, all has since been quiet and peaceful both for heaven and man, but this eating up of the moon is for me a truly ugly scene filling me with forebodings wondering what will come out of it. Climbing West of Lotus Flower Peak Amongst the grandeur of Hua Shan I climb to the Flower Peak, and fancy I see fairies and immortals carrying lotus in their sacred white hands, robes flowing they fly filling the sky with colour as they rise to the palace of heaven, inviting me to go to the cloud stage and see Wei Shu-ching, guardian angel of Hua Shan; so dreamily I go with them riding to the sky on the back of wild geese which call as they fly, but when we look below at Loyang, not so clear because of the mist, everywhere could be seen looting armies, which took Loyang, creating chaos and madness with blood flowing everywhere; like animals of prey rebel army men made into officials with caps and robes to match. Going Up Yoyang Tower We climbed Yoyang Tower with all the scene around coming into vision; looking up the Great River seeing boats turn and enter the Tungting Lake; geese crying farewell to the river as they flew south; evening falling as if mountain tops upt up the moon with their lips; and we in the Yoyang Tower as if with heads amongst the cloud, drinking wine as if the cups came from heaven itself; then having drunk our fill there blew a cold wind filling out our sleeves, it seeming as though we were dancing in time with it. Drinking with someone in the Mountains As the two of us drink together, while mountain flowers blossom beside, we down one cup after the other until I am drunk and sleepy so that you better go! Tomorrow if you feel like it do come and bring your lute along with you! Looking for a Monk and Not Finding Him I took a small path leading up a hill valley, finding there a temple, its gate covered with moss, and in front of the door but tracks of birds; in the room of the old monk no one was living, and I staring through the window saw but a hair duster hanging on the wall, itself covered with dust; emptily I sighed thinking to go, but then turning back several times, seeing how the mist on the hills was flying, and then a light rain fell as if it were flowers falling from the sky, making a music of its own; away in the distance came the cry of a monkey, and for me the cares of the world slipped away, and I was filled with the beauty around me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Return to Chinese Poetry. Return to Dead Poets Society. Comments? Send me e-mail.