Thursday, December 24, 2009

War Is Over (Now)





Hope everyone is enjoying the various holidays celebrated around this time of year and all have a friend, a companion, perhaps family to spend time with.

Currently, I'm reading two books on classic Chinese love poetry. I hope to be taking a longer look at these in a future post, but, for now, here is a poem of love, from the Peter Pauper Press book, Chinese Love Lyrics, to go with the idea of peace. Enjoy.







Among the Bamboos
Bring me no more flowers. Bring me
cypress branches in which to plunge my face.

When the sun has disappeared behind
The mountains I put on my robe of blue
With the thin sleeves and go and sleep
Among the bamboos she loved.
Tu Fu
translated by Gertrude L. Joerissen








in night's winter rain
a face...
his parents' gate
Issa
translated by David G. Lanoue






Happy holidays,
Don

5 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

I actually like that song. I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas songs. But that one is quite pleasant.

Ed Baker said...

Tu Fu is under-read

so is Wang Wei

Cid wrote a neat little book title: tu

I got it around here somewhere.

not sure of a connection with/to Tu Fu

and

didn't the Japanese get just about everything from/via
the Chinese?

bandit said...

lovely!

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Charles, glad you like it ...

Ed, you are so right - their verses are sprinkled throughout both collections, not heavily because after all, these are ostensibly love poems, but their work is such a lift up ...

As spirituality traveled from India to China to Japan, so too poetry from China to Japan. There is so much amazing Chinese poetry - I get caught up in the Japanese, working just how much.

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Props to the Bandit, thanks ...