Here at the frontier, the leaves fall like rain. Although my neighbors are all barbarians, and you, you are a thousand miles away, there are still two cups at my table.


Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter. If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.

~ Wu-men ~


Tuesday, January 20, 2009

300 Tang Dynasty Poems: : #30 ON MEETING MY FRIEND …


This past weekend, I had to clear the driveway three times within a 24 hour period. I heard that our total snowfall for last winter, the 4th snowiest since they’ve been keeping track was 46”. This year we’re already up to 42”.

Today, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America. No matter how you feel about his politics (I’m a conservative), we all have to hope that the country returns to prosperity during his term.

For many years it’s been customary for an inauguration to be commemorated with a poem. This time it was with a truly forgettable, friggin’ awful poem written by a pointy headed Yale professor.

How unlike the days of the Tang Dynasty in China. The Tang Dynasty was regarded as a Golden Age of art and culture in China. Poetry, good poetry, was especially esteemed. There was no occasion, no event, no homecoming or leave taking which was too small to be commemorated by a poem.

What is considered to be the best poetry of that age has been compiled into a famous anthology, The 300 Tang Dynasty Poems. If you click on the title of this post, you’ll be directed to an online version of this classic book. In the meantime, Below is #30, ON MEETING MY FRIEND FENG ZHUIN THE CAPITAL

ON MEETING MY FRIEND FENG ZHU IN THE CAPITAL
Out of the east you visit me,

With the rain of Baling still on your clothes,

I ask you what you have come here for;

You say: "To buy an ax for cutting wood in the mountains"

...Hidden deep in a haze of blossom,

Swallow fledglings chirp at ease

As they did when we parted, a year ago....

How grey our temples have grown since them!

No comments: