Sea calm, sky blue, moon just now full–
in my poems I think how cold Hsuan-tsung must be tonight.
The jade rabbit in the moon, if he has a heart, will remember too,
as he looks west and cannot see the old Ch’ang-an.
translated by Burton Watson
10th Century Chinese poetry
from the series Don’t Ask: 11 by Ch’i-chi
Don’t ask if I’ve ceased wanting anything–
we all know the simile of the drifting clouds.
Excess wouldn’t fit the precepts:
take what comes and you’re never in doubt.
How happy, that worthy Yen!
Even the sage Confucius was poor.
Once you’ve passed the age of understanding
stop trying to change destiny’s course.
translated by Burton Watson
Delighted That The Monk Chien-chou Has Come A Long Way To Visit Me by Ch’i-chi
He and I both nearing seventy,
what does it mean to meet like this?
The age of a sage king has yet to arrive,
but partings and rebellions–we have plenty of that!
Though the gate to detachment is hard to attain,
days of leisure pass quickly.
For the rest of our lives, aside from writing letters,
we’ll just be at the beck of the poetry devil.
translated by Burton Watson
Summer Night by Han Wo
Wild wind, chaotic lightning–black clouds are born.
Splashing, splashing in tall woods–the sound of dense rain.
Night wears on, rain lets up–wind, too, is settled.
Torn clouds–a floating moon once more slants down its light.
translated by Edward H. Schafer
Returning To My Retreat by Ch’en T’uan
Through the red dust I tramped for ten years
green mountains though were often in my dreams
a purple cord brings fame but can’t compare to sleep
crimson gates are grand but having less is better
how sad to hear swords guarding a feeble lord
how depressing the songs of noisy drunks
I’m taking my old books back to my retreat
to wildflowers and birdsongs and the same old spring
translated by Red Pine
Sent to a Ch’an Master by Han Wo
From non-being into being: the cloud peaks gather;
From being back to non-being: the lightning flash goes out.
To gather or to disperse is all illusory:
Only the meddlers keep up their useless jabbering.
translated by Irving Y. Lo
Leonard Durso 