Sent as a present from Annam—
A red cockatoo.
Coloured like the peach-tree blossom,
Speaking with the speech of men.
And they did to it what is always done
To the learned and eloquent.
They took a cage with stout bars
And shut it up inside.
translated by Arthur Waley
I have posted this on my blog because I can’t work out the way WP want me to do it these days.
It is a sublime poem.
Thanks, John. I also thanked you on your blog.