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| The Chinese Travelogue | (1986)
If you could dull its perspicuity, free it from chaos, limit its gleam,
liken it to a grain of dust, then it would seem to exist clearly.
| | Lao-Tse |  |
1
I was surprised by
how calm the waters were,
how familiar the sky was
and how slowly the junk sailed past the rocky banks.
My home country! my heart screamed when I saw
the willows:
those willows in China are the same,
washing clean their oval shapes at will,
for it is only our generosity
that will meet us beyond the grave.
Richard McKane
***
1
These things amazed me:
the still waters,
the familiar sky,
the junk floating slowly within stone banks.
Homeland! my heart shouted at the sight of willow:
there are willows in China
that erase their ovals with great eagerness,
since only our generosity
will meet us in the next world.
Andrew Wachtel | |
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 | | 1. I was surprised by... |
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