In Answer to a Letter Sent by Liu Yü-Hsi on an Autumn Day by Po Chü-I

Grateful to escape such grave illness,
I’m happy to wither away at the root,

let this lamp gauge darkening eyes,
my belt measure this thinning waist.

On a day of frost turning leaves red,
in a time of hair gone white as snow,

I may grieve over old age coming on.
But once old age ends, I’m grief-free.

translated by David Hinton

3 thoughts on “In Answer to a Letter Sent by Liu Yü-Hsi on an Autumn Day by Po Chü-I

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