Such radiance of green,
so casual and composed;
The tint of her dress
Blends crimson with pink.
The heart of a flower
is nearly torn with grief:
Will spring’s brilliance
ever know her heart?
translated by Irving Y. Lo
Wang Wei
from Passing the Temple of Accumulated Fragrance by Wang Wei
meditating
to chase away
the poison dragon of emotion
translated by David Young
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
Spring Farewell by Wang Wei
Me in the mountains and now you’ve left
Sunset, I close the peelpole door.
Next spring when grass is green,
Will you return once more?
translated by Gary Snyder
Birdsong Brook by Wang Wei
Mind at peace, cassia flowers fall,
Night still, spring mountain empty.
Moon rising startles mountain birds
Now and again sing from spring brook.
translated by Irving Y. Lo
Bamboo Pavilion by Wang Wei
I sit alone among the tallest of the tall bamboo,
pluck the lute, and whistle melodies, again.
This deep grove’s unknown to other men.
Bright moon, when it comes: we shine together.
translated by J.P. Seaton
For Someone Far Away by Wang Wei
All year I stay alone in my bedroom
dreaming of Mountain Pass, remembering our separation.
No swallow comes with letters in its claws.
I see only the new moon like the eyebrow of a moth.
translated by Tony Barnstone, Willis Barnstone, & Xu Haixin
Mourning Meng Hao-jan by Wang Wei
My dear friend nowhere in sight,
this Han River keeps flowing east.
Now, if I look for old masters here,
I find empty rivers and mountains.
translated by David Hinton
In Reply to P’ei Ti by Wang Wei
The cold river spreads boundless away.
Autumn rains darken azure-deep skies.
You ask about Whole-South Mountain:
the mind knows beyond white clouds.
translated by David Hinton
untitled poem by Wang Wei
You just came from my old village
so you know all about village affairs.
When you left, outside my window,
was it in bloom–that winter plum?
translated by David Hinton
Leonard Durso 