In spring sleep, dawn arrives unnoticed.
Suddenly, all around, I hear birds in song.
A loud night. Wind and rain came, tearing
blossoms down. Who knows few or many?
translated by David Hinton
8th Century Chinese poetry
Thinking of Us by Wang Wei
Red beans grow in the south
In spring they put out shoots.
Gather a lapful for me–
And doing it, think of us.
translated by Gary Synder
Climbing Oxhead Mountain Temple by Tu Fu
I couldn’t stop thinking about mountains
step after step on my way to Oxhead
no longer held back by restrains
I was finally wandering without a plan
in the quiet of a flower-scented temple in spring
in the seclusion of a bamboo-veiled pond
where is that oriole singing
it hasn’t stopped the whole time
translated by Red Pine
She-Chien, Layman Tung-lin of Tzuke, Sends Me Pine Pollen Balls, Which I Am Glad to Receive–Though They Are Not Meant toBe Eaten by People in the World of Dust. I Respond with a Poem Instead of a Letter by Wei Ying-wu
From five-needle pines in beryl-blue gorges
gathered in the clouds along with the dew
you made your magic pills after summoning the immortals
thinking of benighted friends you sent some down to me
fasting before an altar today I finally ate them
suddenly the stench of mundane life seems wrong
gazing at your cloud-wrapped peak I send this back in thanks
the brass seal at my waist tugs against my heart
translated by Red Pine
Call of the Cuckoo by Wei Ying-wu
Dew drips from tall trees on a clear summer night
in the hills to the south a cuckoo calls
the widow next door comforts her child
I turn in bed and wait for the first light
translated by Red Pine
Entertaining Adjutant Li by Wei Ying-wu
When we were fifteen we both served at court
we climbed the red steps through incense at dawn
we toured the Han Garden in bloom
and bathed on Lishan in the snow
but the immortal has flown and isn’t expected back
his advisors are scattered assuming they’re alive
meeting you today as I think about the past
one cup makes me happy, the next one sad
translated by Red Pine
Drinking with a Recluse in the Mountains by Li Pai (Li Po)
The two of us drinking and wildflowers blooming
one cup another cup and still one more
I’m drunk and need to sleep and you’re about to go
tomorrow if you come again don’t forget your zither
translated by Red Pine
Lord Hsieh’s Pavilion by Li Pai (Li Po)
The place where Lord Hsieh said goodbye
everything here makes me sad
the departing travelers the moon in the sky
the deserted mountain the current in the stream
the flowers by the pond the longer spring days
the bamboo outside the window the sounds of autumn nights
today and the past are connected
in this song about a journey long ago
translated by Red Pine
Spring Dawn by Meng Hao-jan
Sleeping in spring oblivious of dawn
everywhere I hear birds
after the wind and rain last night
I wonder how many petals fell
translated by Red Pine
Seeing Off a Friend by Hsueh T’ao
There’s frost on the reeds tonight in this riverine world
the mountains look dreary in the cold moonlight
who says the miles between us begin this very night
my goodbye dream goes with you beyond the farthest passes
translated by Red Pine
Leonard Durso 