Chinese Poetry

English Translation of Poems by
Li Bai (Li Po, Li Tai-Po), Li ShangYin, Du Mu (Tu Mu), Wang Wei, Su Ting, Tao YuanMing, Su Shi (Su Dongpo), Wen TianXiang

	You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain; I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care. As the peach-blossom flows down stream and is gone into the unknown, I have a world apart that is not among men. More Li Bai in Chinese in English
	Li Bai ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	The breeze and the dew make tranquil the clear dawn; Behind the curtain there is one who alone is up betimes. The orioles sing and the flowers smile - Whose then, after all, is the Spring? More Li ShangYin in Chinese in English
	Li ShangYin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	After I climb the chill mountain's steep stone paths, Deep in the white clouds there are homes of men. I stop my carriage, and sit to admire the maple-grove at nightfall, Whose frozen leaves are redder than the flowers of early Spring. More Du Mu in Chinese
	Du Mu (Tu Mu) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Deserted mountains - not a man is seen, Only the sound of voices can be heard. The sunbeam, entering the deep woods, Reflects again, on the green moss. More Wang Wei in English & Chinese
	Wang Wei ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	The year is ended, and it only adds to my age; Spring has come, but I must take leave of my home. Alas, that the trees in this eastern garden, Without me, will still bear flowers.
	Su Ting (670-727) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	I built my cottage among the habitations of men, And yet there is no clamor of carriages and horses. You ask: "Sir, how can this be done?" "A heart that is distant creates its own solitude." I pluck chrysanthemums under the eastern hedge, Then gaze afar towards the southern hills. The mountain air is fresh at the dusk of day; The flying birds in flocks return. In these things there lies a deep meaning; I want to tell it, but have forgotten the words. Tr. Tony Barnstone and Chou Ping More Tao YuanMing in Chinese
	Tao YuanMing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	To what can our life on earth be likened? To a flock of geese, alighting on the snow. Sometimes leaving a trace of their passage. More Su Shi in Chinese
	Su Shi (Su Dongpo) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Crossing the Lonely Sea Delving in the Book of Change, I rose through hardship great, And desperately fought the foe for four long years; Like willow catkin, the war-torn land looks desolate, I sink or swim as duckweed in the rain appears. For perils on Perilious Beach, I heaved and sighed, On Lonely Sea now, I feel dreary and lonely; Since olden days, which man has lived and not died? I'll leave a loyalist name in history! tr.Xu YuanZhong More Wen TianXiang in Chinese
	Wen TianXiang ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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