Eastern Slope by Su Tung-p’o

Rain has washed Eastern Slope, the moon shines clear;
where townspeople walked earlier, farmers pass.
Why mind jagged stones on the hillside path?
I like the ringing sound my stick makes when it strikes.

translated by Burton Watson

15 thoughts on “Eastern Slope by Su Tung-p’o

  1. Lovely and poignant, Len! When I come here to read the works of the Chinese masters, I am always soothed and lulled into believing that maybe the world will someday be that way again…but…I won’t hold my breath. *thin smile*

    Ron — Haiku Odyssey

  2. Those small pleasures are a template for putting those difficult times into perspective and walking right over them; accepting what others might call imperfection as part of the path that can be turned into something else. I love the compression of all that in these few lines of seemingly objective description. Like our own minds are invited up on the slope, to get our own perspective. As always, thanks for choosing and posting it, Len!

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