Wash our swords in
Parthian
Seas, Feed our mounts on Ti?
Like-Water-or-Clouds-The-Tang-Dynasty
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2-4?
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? 293
? Lu Mountain, Kiangsi
I climbed west on Incense Cloud Peak.
South I saw the spray-filled falls
Dropping for ten thousand feet
Sounding in a hundred gorges,
Suddenly as if lightning shone,
Strange as if light-wet rainbows lifted.
I thought the Milky Way had shattered, Scattering stars through the clouds, downwards.
Looking up an even greater force.
Naturei? s powers are so intense.
The Cosmic Wind blows there without stop. The riveri? s moon echoes back the light
Into vortices where waters rush.
On both sides the clear walls were washed, By streams of pearl broken into mist,
By clouds of foam whitening over rock.
Let me reach those Sublime Hills Where peace comes to the quiet heart.
294
? ? No more need to find the magic cup. Ii? ll wash the dust, there, from my face, And live in those regions that I love, Separated from the Human World.
? 490? ? ? :? ? 4:39,? 3? ? 8? ,? %,4? 89? 8,. 70/? 8? 90? ? 3? ? ? ,3? 8? ? ! 74;? 3. 0?
295
? To My Wife on Lu-shan Mountain
Visiting the nun Rise-In-Air,
You must be near her place in those blue hills. The riveri? s force helps pound the mica,
The wind washes rose bay tree flowers.
If you find you cani? t leave that refuge,
Invite me there to see the sunseti? s fire.
? 490? ? ! 4:3/0/? 2? . ,? ,3/? 7480? -,? ? ? 070? -49? ? :80/? ,8? %,4? 89? 20/? . ? 308?
? 296
? Reaching the Hermitage
At evening I make it down the mountain. Keeping company with the moon. Looking back I see the paths Ii? ve taken Blue now, blue beneath the skyline.
You greet me, show the hidden track, Where children pull back hawthorn curtains, Reveal green bamboo, the secret path,
Vines that touch the travelleri? s clothes.
I love finding space to rest,
Clear wine to enjoy with you.
Wind in the pines till voices stop,
Songs till the Ocean of Heaven pales.
I get drunk and you are happy,
Both of us pleased to forget the world.
? 490? ? ? 009? 3? ? ,3? ,/059? ,9? ,? %,4? 89? ? 072? 9,? 0? ? ? ? ? 9? ? 3? 8? ,-4:9? 9? 0? 89,90? 41? ? ? 8? 4? 3? /? 8? 4. ,90/? ? ? 10? . 425,70/? ? ? 9? ? 9? 0? ? ? //03? ? . ? ? ? /? 8? ? ? :3,88:2? 3? ? ? -:9? ? 394? ? . ,9? 3? ? 3,9:70? 41? 9? 0? %,4?
297
? ? Hard Journey
Gold painted jars - wines worth a thousand. Jade carved dishes - food costing more.
I throw the chopsticks down,
Food and wine are tasteless.
Draw my magic sword,
Mind confused stare round me.
See the ice floes block the Yellow River.
Feel the snowfall shroud the Ti? ai-hang Mountains. Quiet again I cast in dark waters,
Find the fragile boat that might drift sunwards. Hard Journey. So many side-tracks.
Turn after turn, and where am I?
New breezes flatten down the waves ahead.
Ii? ll set cloud sails, cross the Blue Horizon.
? 298
? We Fought for - South of the Walls
Died for - North of the Rampartsi? (to an old tune)
We fought for Mulberry Springs
Die now for Garlic River.
Wash our swords in Parthian Seas, Feed our mounts on Ti? ien Shan snows. Thousands of miles to and fro.
The Three Armies tired and old. These Huns kill instead of ploughing, Sow white bones in desert sand. Chi? in built the Great Wall.
Han keeps the bright beacons.
These fires never die.
These wars never end.
Hand to hand we fight and fail, Horses screaming to the skies.
Kites and crows pick at our flesh Perch on dead trees with our dead. We paint the grasses red,
Because our General had a plan.
The sword I sayi? s an evil thing.
299
? ? ? A wise man keeps it from his hand.
? 490? ? %? 0? ? :? -077? ? ,3/? ? ,7? ? . ? #? ;078? ,70? 3479? ? ,3/? ? 089? -0? 43/? 9? 0? ? 70,9? ? ,? ? ? ? ,8? ? 3? 9? 0? 4? /? 843? ? 9? 0? ? 705708039? 8? 479 ? 9072? ,3/? :? 9? 2,90? ? ? ? 479? ? 088? 4-? 0. 9? ;08? ? ? %? 0? ? ! ,79? ? ,3? $0,8? ? /03490? 9? 0? 1,7? ? 089? ,3/? %:7? 089,3? ? 8,? ? ! ,79? ? ,? ,3/? ? 0397,? ? ? 8? ,? 41? ? ,3? 9? 208? ? 1742? 9? 0? ! 078? ,3? ? :? 1? 94? 9? 0? ? ,85? ,3? ,3/? ? 7,? ? $0,8? ? %? 0? %? ? 03? $? ,3? ,70? 9? 0? ? ? 0? 089? ,? ? ? 4:39,? 38? ? /? ;? /? 3? ? ? ? ? 3,? 1742? %:7? 089,3? ? %? 0? ? :38? ,70? 9? 0? ? 8? :3? ? 3:? 41? ? 0397,? ? ? 8? ,? ? %? 0 %? ,3? ?
? 293
? Lu Mountain, Kiangsi
I climbed west on Incense Cloud Peak.
South I saw the spray-filled falls
Dropping for ten thousand feet
Sounding in a hundred gorges,
Suddenly as if lightning shone,
Strange as if light-wet rainbows lifted.
I thought the Milky Way had shattered, Scattering stars through the clouds, downwards.
Looking up an even greater force.
Naturei? s powers are so intense.
The Cosmic Wind blows there without stop. The riveri? s moon echoes back the light
Into vortices where waters rush.
On both sides the clear walls were washed, By streams of pearl broken into mist,
By clouds of foam whitening over rock.
Let me reach those Sublime Hills Where peace comes to the quiet heart.
294
? ? No more need to find the magic cup. Ii? ll wash the dust, there, from my face, And live in those regions that I love, Separated from the Human World.
? 490? ? ? :? ? 4:39,? 3? ? 8? ,? %,4? 89? 8,. 70/? 8? 90? ? 3? ? ? ,3? 8? ? ! 74;? 3. 0?
295
? To My Wife on Lu-shan Mountain
Visiting the nun Rise-In-Air,
You must be near her place in those blue hills. The riveri? s force helps pound the mica,
The wind washes rose bay tree flowers.
If you find you cani? t leave that refuge,
Invite me there to see the sunseti? s fire.
? 490? ? ! 4:3/0/? 2? . ,? ,3/? 7480? -,? ? ? 070? -49? ? :80/? ,8? %,4? 89? 20/? . ? 308?
? 296
? Reaching the Hermitage
At evening I make it down the mountain. Keeping company with the moon. Looking back I see the paths Ii? ve taken Blue now, blue beneath the skyline.
You greet me, show the hidden track, Where children pull back hawthorn curtains, Reveal green bamboo, the secret path,
Vines that touch the travelleri? s clothes.
I love finding space to rest,
Clear wine to enjoy with you.
Wind in the pines till voices stop,
Songs till the Ocean of Heaven pales.
I get drunk and you are happy,
Both of us pleased to forget the world.
? 490? ? ? 009? 3? ? ,3? ,/059? ,9? ,? %,4? 89? ? 072? 9,? 0? ? ? ? ? 9? ? 3? 8? ,-4:9? 9? 0? 89,90? 41? ? ? 8? 4? 3? /? 8? 4. ,90/? ? ? 10? . 425,70/? ? ? 9? ? 9? 0? ? ? //03? ? . ? ? ? /? 8? ? ? :3,88:2? 3? ? ? -:9? ? 394? ? . ,9? 3? ? 3,9:70? 41? 9? 0? %,4?
297
? ? Hard Journey
Gold painted jars - wines worth a thousand. Jade carved dishes - food costing more.
I throw the chopsticks down,
Food and wine are tasteless.
Draw my magic sword,
Mind confused stare round me.
See the ice floes block the Yellow River.
Feel the snowfall shroud the Ti? ai-hang Mountains. Quiet again I cast in dark waters,
Find the fragile boat that might drift sunwards. Hard Journey. So many side-tracks.
Turn after turn, and where am I?
New breezes flatten down the waves ahead.
Ii? ll set cloud sails, cross the Blue Horizon.
? 298
? We Fought for - South of the Walls
Died for - North of the Rampartsi? (to an old tune)
We fought for Mulberry Springs
Die now for Garlic River.
Wash our swords in Parthian Seas, Feed our mounts on Ti? ien Shan snows. Thousands of miles to and fro.
The Three Armies tired and old. These Huns kill instead of ploughing, Sow white bones in desert sand. Chi? in built the Great Wall.
Han keeps the bright beacons.
These fires never die.
These wars never end.
Hand to hand we fight and fail, Horses screaming to the skies.
Kites and crows pick at our flesh Perch on dead trees with our dead. We paint the grasses red,
Because our General had a plan.
The sword I sayi? s an evil thing.
299
? ? ? A wise man keeps it from his hand.
? 490? ? %? 0? ? :? -077? ? ,3/? ? ,7? ? . ? #? ;078? ,70? 3479? ? ,3/? ? 089? -0? 43/? 9? 0? ? 70,9? ? ,? ? ? ? ,8? ? 3? 9? 0? 4? /? 843? ? 9? 0? ? 705708039? 8? 479 ? 9072? ,3/? :? 9? 2,90? ? ? ? 479? ? 088? 4-? 0. 9? ;08? ? ? %? 0? ? ! ,79? ? ,3? $0,8? ? /03490? 9? 0? 1,7? ? 089? ,3/? %:7? 089,3? ? 8,? ? ! ,79? ? ,? ,3/? ? 0397,? ? ? 8? ,? 41? ? ,3? 9? 208? ? 1742? 9? 0? ! 078? ,3? ? :? 1? 94? 9? 0? ? ,85? ,3? ,3/? ? 7,? ? $0,8? ? %? 0? %? ? 03? $? ,3? ,70? 9? 0? ? ? 0? 089? ,? ? ? 4:39,? 38? ? /? ;? /? 3? ? ? ? ? 3,? 1742? %:7? 089,3? ? %? 0? ? :38? ,70? 9? 0? ? 8? :3? ? 3:? 41? ? 0397,? ? ? 8? ,? ? %? 0 %? ,3? ?
