| 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 |  |
5
Do you know
the dwarf pines, the weeping willows?
The untied boat
does not prod the bank for long,
and neither joy
of that which was
nor pity:
we’re all here today, but who knows about tomorrow?
Nor reason,
only spirits are without reproach,
modest, fearless and kind-hearted –
nothing will stop
the simple rapture
setting like the sun.
The untied boat
floats without a thought,
the broken branch
will grow again – but not under these skies.
Richard McKane
***
5
Do you know
the dwarf pines, the weeping willows?
An untied boat
doesn’t hug the bank for long –
and there’s no joy
in what’s past
nor sorrow:
we’re all here today, but who can speak
for tomorrow?
and no reason:
only the blameless spirits are
modest, fearless, and charitable –
simple rapture can’t be stopped,
simple rapture setting like the sun.
An untied boat
floats without a thought,
a broken bough
takes root, but not in this world.
Andrew Wachtel | |
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|
