South Hall by Su Tung-p’o

/ zdunno03

Sweep the floor, burn incense, close the door to sleep;
a mat marked like water, curtains like mist.
I dream a guest comes, wake wondering where I am,
prop open the west window on waves that meet the sky.

translated by Burton Watson

9 thoughts on “South Hall by Su Tung-p’o”

      • There is a beautiful lyricism to the poem and a profound sense of zen – though I guess being Chinese that must be Chang – (you probably know more about this than I).

      • Su did study with a zen master and, like so many others, longed for a quiet, contemplative life, Though he achieved it for a while, he was constantly in and out of favor with the court, jailed at one point, and called back to service and then exiled again. Life just never gave him much peace. But through it all, he wrote some great poetry, painted, was praised for his calligraphy, and never gave up.

      • Now you’ve really piqued my curiosity. I will do some research on Su Tung-p’o. I am interested to see some of his paintings for I love Chinese ink brush painting.
        It is interesting that you say he did study zen Buddhism for a while but his life was tempestuous and changeable. Sometimes I think the worldly path with all its twists and turns can be zen path too.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.