Month: January 2014

Endless Yearning: poem 2 by Li Po (Li Bai)

/ zdunno03 / 1 Comment

The sun has set, and a mist is in the flowers;
And the moon grows very white and people sad and sleepless.
A Chao harp has just been laid mute on its phoenix-holder,
And a Shu lute begins to sound its mandarin-duck strings. . .
Since nobody can bear to you the burden of my song,
Would that it might follow the spring wind to Yen-jan Mountain.
I think of you far away, beyond the blue sky,
And my eyes that once were sparkling
Are now a well of tears.
. . .Oh, if ever you should doubt this aching of my heart,
Here in my bright mirror come back and look at me!

translated by Witter Bynner & Kiang Kang-ho

Endless Yearning: poem 1 by Li Po (Li Bai)

/ zdunno03 / 1 Comment

I am endlessly yearning
To be in Ch’ang-an.
. . .Insects hum of autumn by the gold brim of the well;
A thin frost glistens like little mirrors on my cold mat;
The high lantern flickers; and deeper grows my longing.
I lift the shade and, with many a sigh, gaze upon the moon,
Single as a flower, centered from the clouds.
Above, I see the blueness and deepness of sky.
Below, I see the greenness and the restlessness of water. . .
Heaven is high, earth wide; bitter between them flies my sorrow.
Can I dream through the gateway, over the mountain?
Endless longing
Breaks my heart.

translated by Witter Bynner & Kiang Kang-ho

once is enough

/ zdunno03 / 9 Comments

there was your laugh
almost comical
like some Walt Disney cartoon character
yukking your way
into the hearts of men
you had that way of standing
with your head tilted
to the side
and that look
that could only be called
askance
as you eyed me
half amused
the other half suspicious
never quite sure
when I was serious
and maybe I wasn’t either
it was hard to be
in those turbulent times
but you got serious
about that sci-fi religion
and getting clear
of what though
I never quite understood
especially when after all those years
you got the brand wrong
on my bourbon
insult to injury
but you had a lot
to remember
back then
and names brands men
all sort of blurred
I guess
and now I’m not quite sure
why I thought of you
today of all days
it’s a good week past
what was your birthday
maybe it was that young woman
who looked a lot
an awful lot
like you used to look
the hair
the shape of the ankles
I even recognized a knee
and so my mind reeled backward
like minds sometimes do
Steely Dan on the soundtrack
Black Cow
a book of numbers
and Jimmy Knight came dancing along
with Linda whatshername
there in Hollywood
in that place on Edgemont
the dog howling
whiskey flowing
and try as hard as I could
and love you as much as I did
I couldn’t quite get back
once is
after all
enough
besides I don’t drink bourbon
anymore
and a heart doesn’t break
the same way
twice

on almost being home: Saturday

/ zdunno03 / 2 Comments

a breeze through the leafless branches
cooling my tea
as I watch the ships drift by
on the sea below
later I climb down
and stroll the promenade
sit on a solitary bench
to watch water lap the shore
some kids try their luck
shooting at balloons
cats prowl the rocks
searching for bits of food
a lazy afternoon
on my home turf
there’s fettuccine with salmon
for dinner at Rea
my two glasses of red wine
and the cappuccino Saffet brings
with cheesecake for dessert
later I stop to chat
with Mürsel over tea
buy some fruit from Ali’s cart
have a Benedictine and brandy
while the cat curls up on my arm
I will miss these days
one day
when I am gone
but for now
I lose myself
in the moments
of almost being at home