murphy’s li tai bo von zach XVII

li bai xvii-01

i escort zhang shi liu from yan zhou as he leaves for hong nong

in this limited land of wu a big man like you cannot make his way
you are like a whale blocked from the sea trying to swim in a cup of water
even confucius was not honored in this land, much less common people
you are a white gem which here in lu is exchanged for a bushel of rice
you are like gold which here will buy only a foot long bundle of firewood
you block your door to shut out the world and hear only the sound of rustling leaves
this evidence alone lets you know that fall and not spring has arrived

now you have been designated to serve in the west
and your new post is out there near ding hu lake
huang di’s precious mirror will yet be found in a moss covered box
and his book of magic dan jing should be buried in the gray dust
for as huang di drove off on a dragon into the heavens
the minor officials who wished to follow were left behind
yet his grace and love have remained in that area
and his influence and teaching are now perhaps even more effective

the silk of lu is thin like a white smoke and five of them do not make a bundle
as you leave you give your poor friends this silk which is appreciated highly
yan ying the minister of qi held that parting advice was more precious than gifts
so i say to you now if you wish to rest in the shade, seek plum trees
and if you wish to forget your grief take xuan cao, the herb of forgetfulness
and if you should meet fan ju from xu jia and should offer him a trifle
he will surely be full of gratitude for the gift of a silk jacket

murphy full of wisdom for others, but always unsure of his own path

4/2/2012 3:17 PM

li bai xvii-02

i escort my cousin li ning, assistant to the district judge of shan fu, as he is transferred laterally to song cheng. when we arrive at the moon bridge on the southern edge of the city, i urge him to return to qi xia mountain when i stop to entertain him with this poem

in my family there exists a splendid sword ready for service
its cutting edge wins championships when used properly
according to another he is now to manage two districts
my question is when will he return from song cheng back here

men on horseback have stopped at the south bridge
their silver saddles gleam at the famous crossroads
brave men have followed him to give him a farewell party
and they will shortly return to qi xia mountain

many flowers are scattered here throughout the fragrant garden
a bucket of wine arrives to cheer the sad result of the impending separation
after we have had our fun we look at each other and know it is time
we summon the horses for we can no longer postpone the inevitable

murphy once again standing by the keg to insure he gets his fair share

li bai xvii-03

i escort du fu, second of his clan, as he leaves for the shi men mountains east of lu cheng

now we separate, drunk as usual, when we will get together again
when again will we walk around everywhere, sit by lakes, climb to balconies
when will we again stop here on the way to the shi men mountains
our scintillating glass beakers raised in communal toasts

the sparkling clear water of the si shui river cascades onto rocks as it falls
the golden sun rising from the sea glints on the tips of zu lai mountain
we part going our separate ways as does windblown thistledown
the only way to manage our sorrow is to empty our cups

murphy alone at the bar remembering his drinking buddies

li bai xvii-04

at the memorial temple of emperor yao in lu cheng, i take leave of zhang (14th of his clan) as he leaves for he bei

the wild tiger crouches in the grass only a foot high
he tries to hide, but he cannot make his body invisible
so it is with my good friend master cheng
resolutely he rises out of the sordid world

he needed no sword hanging ready at his side
when he went to put down the people of huai yan
he now travels on to northern yan where an lu shan lurks
there he will play his qin on the banks of the river yi

if you should return from the north to the tai shan mountain
i will gladly welcome you there as my great good neighbor

murphy making sure he is friends with those who count

li bai xvii-05

in hang zhou i take leave of pei da ce as he goes to zhang shi in lu zhou

the western stream has its origin in the pillars of heaven mountain
the east yue takes its mighty flood to the hai men sea gate
by your departure you move beyond your parent’s love
thinking all the while of your debt to the state and the emperot’s grace

a favorable wind is blowing now as the sun sets
the flowing water brings forth from me a drawn out song
you are the poor man who wears his winter coat in the fifth month
and everyone knows you are an evenhanded incorruptible official

murphy always leaving more than he takes

li bai xvii-06

the song of ba ling, a poetic farewell

i say goodbye to you in the pavilion of ba ling
above the rushing waters of the ba stream
above the pavilion one finds an ancient non-flowering tree
beside the pavilion is spring green grass, both tug at the heart

i ask a question of a man of shan si at this crossroads
where do these roads lead a man when they are traveled
and he answers that the old way to wang can goes to the south
but if one travels to the north, that old road goes to chang an

from the palaces of the imperial city one sees purple clouds at sunset
but here this evening this place is filled with only the sadness of departure
i hear the farewell song “at the gate the horses are ready”
i become extremely depressed and ask that it be not be sung

murphy facing up to his problems with the occasional guiness

li bai xvii-07

the departure of imperial secretary he zhi zhang as he returns to si ming mountain, written in response to a royal commission

it’s a long time now since you retired from your exalted position at court
and you have been wearing the simple clothing of your youthful days
you have discussed with the immortals your final retreat from the world
and received the true secret of the elixir of life from the magician may yang

but can you prevent the grace of the emperor from calling you back
perhaps to have you assume new duties at dong ting lake
the jasper terrace of the immortals is surrounded by mists
and countless stars sparkle in its special skies

the rocks of the immortals find themselves out in the sea
and are dimly seen on the horizon as blurred small islands
i ask you will the crane rest there in those pearl encrusted trees
and when will he fly back here again to visit us in the imperial city

murphy always ready to discharge a royal commission

li bai xvii-08

i escort army secretary dou as he leaves for yi chun as a punishment

once you followed along with the august emperor’s retinue
you rode a splendid white horse with a silver bedecked saddle
you were present at the cockfights in the imperial palace
you shot wild geese from high up in the purple clouds
eunuchs sat on both sides of the imperial throne
music and singing were heard throughout the clear night

who would have thought that yi chun would be exiled to the south
as he stood with his hand on his sword and gave a deep sigh
who has smeared you the jewel of the hui wen wang from zhao
you the pearl of the counts of sui wrongly used as a petty official
but the illustrious ruler has many graces he yet may give
do not despair for you will be returning to the capital soon enough

murphy defending the defenseless

li bai xvii-09

general tao says goodbye to his troops

you, the general, leave the land yo love
to be an ambassador though escorted by warships
the banner of your troops on the yang zi
echo the purple mists seen around the sun

for ten thousand miles you held your lance high
ready for battle as you penetrated into the tiger cave
then it was after having three cups of wine
you drew your glorious sword lung yuan

do not say that a poet possesses no courage
if i may follow you i will carry the whip of yao zhao

murphy still dreaming of hitting the game winning home run

li bai xvii-10

i escort the two censors cheng and liu along with the judge du gu as they leave for the headquarters of the army to help quell the rioting in the western borderlands

at the headquarters in the western borderlands are many wise and brave men
yet in the voices from the people only three names are well known
your embroidered garments will shine in the deep snows of that region
your dispatches from the front will soar to the capital on a storm wind

this morning you have taken leave of the leaders in the purple palace
friends on silver saddles are so numerous chang an must be stripped of men
out there in the borderlands snow is falling on the cong ling mountains
your fiery red banners and countless cavalry will spread their shiny reflections

i am counting the days until the storm abates on the tatar frontier
i will wait here for your return when the grass turns green again in the han capital

murphy in his dotage imagining a quick and surgical war

li bai xvii-11

i bid farewell to my nephew li liang as he departs for the gui ji mountains with two prostitues in tow, and give him this joke poem

as once did xie an you go with prostitutes to the southern mountains
halfway there you should be overcome by the brilliance of spring
from a distance the two girls seem like peach and plum blossoms
both will bloom in the mirror bright regions of gui ji mountain

murphy asking the senior tutor to hold the door as he escorts women from the party in his dorm room

li bai xvii-12

seeing off the master of ceremonies of the crown prince, he zhi zhang as he leaves for yue

the transparent waters on the mirror lake are now moving
the foolish wanderer in full enjoyment of his freedom moves to yue
when you should meet the daoist bigwigs of shan yin
you must write for them the huang ting jing, and exchange white swans

murphy hip to all the peculiar protocols in the provinces

li bai xvii-13

escorting zhang yao as he leaves for the headquarters at shou yang

shou yang is a natural fortress just down from the jing pass
fu xian’s vast army was stopped here beside the ba gong mountain
the kingdom of dong jin erected a defensive wall for xie an’s safety
the troops of dong jin fought like bears and tigers to defeat fu xian

you, oh master zhang have always been brave and efficient
since childhood you have despised wei qing and huo qi bing
you will now be under the command of a second sun quan
use your skills well and return to your home with a coat of brocade

murphy sending everyone off to the glory of battle

li bai xvii-14

i escort pei tu nan (18th of his clan) as he leaves for the song mountain (1 of 2)

we shall part now here, hard by the qing zhi gate of chang an
barbarian waiter wave their white gloves while we empty golden cups
i was the last to talk to you as you swayed on the back of your horse
the wind blew the fragrant orchids, birds sang to the setting sun

all fingers pointed to a flying goose, our feelings complex and deep
i plan to visit you out there on song mountain, the source of the clear ying

murphy with an incurable itchy foot

li bai xvii-15

i escort pei tu nan (18th of his clan) as he leaves for the song mountain (2 of 2)

you long for the source of the ying river
so you hurry back to the crags of mount song
when you get there do not wash your ears as did xu you
rather it is better to cleanse your heart

through this purging you will gain the true ethics
washing your ears will only bring you empty fame
remember, xie an had to continually emerge from his hermitage
in order to help others of the black haired people

murphy the old armchair philosopher supreme

li bai xvii-16

together with wang chang ling i escort my cousing li xiang as he returns to gui yang (1 0f 2)

in the land of shen si it is the time of spring grass
you sing songs of chu with a crystal cup of wine held high
what are you thinking with this cup of wine in your hand
perhaps the call of the partridge in the gardens of the south

i would also like to retire to the solitude of the lo fu mountain
yet i doubt this would repay my illustrious ruler for his favors
i linger here because i am still drawn to the imperial palace
so i cannot keep my promise to seek the pleasures of seclusion

in the end we both wander aimlessly together and apart
like two clouds that float above the vast ocean
though our mutual desire is to live an idle life in retirement
to remain together where the fragrant cassia takes root

murphy remembering living with his large extended family in texas

li bai xvii-17

together with wang chang ling i escort my cousing li xiang as he returns to gui yang (2 0f 2)

where can one find your family these days
on the banks of the xiao xiang near dong ting lake
there along the banks of the river with the white stones
which glisten in their setting of green moss

yesterday i dreamed of flowers bright in the sun
the branches blooming right outside my east window
when i awoke my desire was to go with you
for my heart was filled with wanderlust

my soul wanted to follow the birds of yue
as they fly home to the southern regions
where the clouds of shen si can be seen
gathering over the mountains and the sea

however the gui river and the obscuring mists
prevent me from attempting to cross over
and now i am escorting you as you leave
filled with sorrow at the distance of our separation

promise me only that when spring brings its fresh herbs
you will send some here to me in the moonlight of chang an

murphy contemplating the double meaning of ciao

li bai xvii-18

i escort my nephew zheng guan as he leaves for the field (1 of 3)

one plays dice when one leaves for the war zone
when suddenly the highest throw comes your way
all spectators tend to flinch at the crucial moment
when the highest roll appears on the golden plate

a brave man like you does not play dice
rather you risk your life for the son of heaven
after you chop down the barbarians
the emperor will reward you with fine brocade

murphy the old gambler plunging once again

li bai xvii-19

i escort my nephew zheng guan as he leaves for the field (2 of 3)

the warrior with the long snake lance comes from long xi
when he draws his bow the white monkeys shriek their fear
you will certainly bring superior strategic plans to bear
the armor of slain enemies will stack as high as the xiong er mountain

murphy running up the score on a hated opponent

li bai xvii-20

i escort my nephew zheng guan as he leaves for the field (3 of 3)

if you wish to defeat the enemy it must be in the dark of the moon
then at the time of ripening melons you will return for the feast
you will cut off the enemy’s heads and bloody the water of the huang he
and hang their heads on the rods of the flags with the image of the white magpie

murphy aroused in the last quarter of the game and offering no quarter

li bai xvii-21

i say goodbye to yu, 18th of his clan, as he returns to song mountain, having failed the test given in the teachings of the four philosophers (lao zi, zuang zi, wen zi, lie zi)

when my ancestor lao zi set his bellows into motion
the heavens and the people assumed their rightful place
when we look for root causes, it is the great chaos tai su
this ancient power who eventually caused all to live in harmony

the teachings of the four philosophers are of sublime beauty
their works build smoothly with energy, wave upon wave
their confluent ideas have never ceased to inform
though yang zhu and mo di have created their own sects

you, oh master, learned from the great lo song
he always praised your skills and versatility
you are like the metal molten in the crucible
which longs to spring forth to become a famous sword

you studied long and hard in foreign parts to prepare
but you have had no success in the examinations
yet, if we could bundle your knowledge of the dao and sell it
we could amass treasures to fill mountains and streams

since that is not possible i advise that you return to song mountian
relax and enjoy wine and the courtyard trees as did tao yuan ming
after the three next bloomings of the trees in your old home there
i will come visit you as you will have re-established your equilibrium

murphy wishing for others what he himself most desires

li bai xvii-22

the leave taking

when one sails up upstream on any of the five rivers of zhiu jiang
you will find yourself in the region of the wu mountains
the lovely scenery there has been praised since olden times
and if you were to go south you would also find beauty

as i take leave of you now it is in the sadness of autumn
the flowers of the reeds rustling in the wind only increase my grief
i watch your high sails dwindle until i can no longer see them
in the evening i am still here with the never ending river but no longer my friend

murphy fighting a tendency to wallow in his despond

li bai xvii-23

i escort my cousin li guan as he leaves to fight with the troops in an xi

the north wind blesses the cavalry of the han dynasty
they go west with a roll of the drums to destroy the barbarian quan rong
you follow the han general and will pass through the yan men guan pass
you will crush the enemy as if mowing grass, and be richly rewarded

the emperor relies on his sword as he looks toward the country’s borders
the star of the barbarian is already set and will no longer shine in the heavens
the huns will be dragged into captivity and their fate will be sealed
next year when you return you will be receive an audience with the emperor

murphy chivvying his kin to set their sights higher

li bai xvii-24

i escort liang chong as he leaves with the troops of the duke of xin an to join the battles in the north

you have been accepted in the headquarters and all praise your energy
you have put aside your books for service against the distant barbarians
you understand strategy and speak confidently of a hundred battles
within yourself you harbor the bravery of ten thousand warriors

your sword with the lotus flower engraved is raised in a martial dance
on your way now you sing the song of the bright moon palace
your general has ordered his troops to make all due haste under heaven
and the soldiers move freely through the gate in the great wall

at the farewell party i wanted to be able to hold back the sun
but now the brightly colored flags stand out against the high clouds
you should return soon to the imperial tower in triumph
and your portrait will be hung on the walls of the unicorn gallery

murphy always the one to praise his friends

li bai xvii-25

i escort bo li as he leaves with guard general dong on his campaign to the west

the western qiang has recently been hit with rioting and violence
and you have offered your prowess to aid in the military campaign
you have drawn your sword and raise it to the flying white clouds
your drawn bow is as round as the brilliant full moon

your mighty steed prances to the green meadows of the border
your banners flutter in the wind cooled with the morning frost
at the moment of departure we look at each other seriously
and it is as if an icy wind rises up out of our armor

murphy dressing the part but not entering on stage

li bai xvii-26

i escort bachelor zhang as he leaves to take the field with the troops

the animal liu bo is famous for outeating the wild tiger
yet shames himself by trailing behind like a swaybacked nag
one morning liu bo broke out in a drawn out neighing
as impressively loud as a dragon flying up into the clouds

a brave man such as you has a far reaching ambition in his heart
and fully intends to appease the unrest in this dusty world
you are not concerned about the rice of the land of zhou like bo yi or shu qi
no longer do you wish to be enfeoffed like lu zhong lian of qi

with your hand on your sword you take leave of your parents
and leave to serve in the army of a second huo chu bing, earl of guan zhun
you will use your whip to reach the land of huang he and the lo river
after your success you will return to the shore of the ru river and your parents

you will then be honored for all time for your achievements
your portrait placed on high in the unicorn tower of the imperial palace

murphy always more optimistic for what other men might do

li bai xvii-27

i escort cui du as he returns to the land of wu. he is the son of my old friend cui guo fu, secretary in the ministry of ceremonies

you du and yan shan are lands of endless sand and snows
ten thousand miles wide unbroken under nothing but brown clouds
in the morning the wind blows for the geese flying to the south
it is autumn and the echelons fly over until noon

among them is the young phoenix cui du
whose mournful cry is heard across the wide sky
this bird surely flies high in the heavens
already his colorful plumage shows the five colors

why is he mixed in with the ordinary birds
he, a phoenix, should disdain chickens and ducks
i raise his feet on the heels of my hands
though his soaring away grieves my heart

i strokehis wings as tears stream down my face
i escort him as he returns to the shores of the wu zhiang
and suddenly even his shadow vanishes from my sight
perplexed i stay for a while until the sun goes down

murphy watching the flower of youth vanish into the maw of war

li bai xvii-28

i escort zhu, 8th of his clan, as he leaves for zhiang dong; for this poem i use the theme of the stone which the beautiful xi shi used for washing her silk

xi shi was a girl from yue xi, her beauty dazzled the clouds
when she was not in the palace of the king of wu
she washed her silks on an old stone which is still there
there now stand peach and plum trees in fresh bloom

they reflect down on an old raft moored in the river
where small young sweet flags grow out of the flat sand bank
in earlier times the rouged face of xi shi sparkled above the stream
now, however, blue-green moss is covered with fallen blossoms

you, oh zhu, forsake the western qin and go into eastern yue
there are many green mountains and clear rivers between here and there
when you arrive in that distant land think of your old friend
there by the stone once graced by xi shi you will see the same moon as i see here

murphy readily extending his metaphors

li bai xvii-29

i eescort master hou, 11th of his clan

zhu hai had already killed jin bi
so hou yin elected to remain hidden
if wei gong zi was not around then
who would have told us of the virtues of hou yin

i have also gone without hot food in liang
i was in the same distress there as confucious in chen
i had nothing left than my sword zhan lu
i give it to you now to show my friendship

murphy ever the indian in giving away his valuables

li bai xvii-30

in the land of lu i escort my two cousins who travel to chang-an for the examinations

this stranger in lu laughs with joy looking to the west
i see the gates of the imperial palace open in my dreams
this hair is bleached by the many autumn frosts of exile
but daily i think of my time in the ming guang palace

i envy you who have occasion to wrestle with dragons
and whose talents tower above the others in this world
the large flat road awaits the rush of your beautiful horses
you will fly on your way with uninterrupted fair winds

when you dance be sure to extend your sleeves
for best effect under the shining moon of autumn
the joyful songs of the farewell party will last until morning
you will know it is time when the geese start their cries

i escort you as you leave on a thousand mile journey
when will we ever have another chance to be together again

murphy upholding his part in the traditions of the clan

li bai xvii-31

i give the daoist abbot ru gui gao a farewell dinner as he returns to bei hai after training his students in the daoist canon

the secrets of the dao are not easily perceived
the wonderful scriptures are treasured in paradise
our abbot has mastered the wisdom of the ages
and he brings this to his many grateful students

he departs leaning on his green bamboo walking stick
as he leaves he raises his voice in song to reach the purple clouds
his heart cares not whether the journey is to be short or long
he moves constantly within the grace of the immortals

murphy recognizing only the church of the natural world

li bai xvii-32

in nan ging i escort zhang, 11th of his clan, as he leaves for zhe giang

the golden flowers of zhang han’s verse
have been famous for five hundred years
at the present time who else but you , oh master,
could be worthy of matching his poetry

once again you set your rudder to move to eastern wu
once again your ship will sail over the ocean’s waves
it is the time of the splendor of spring at the white gate of nan ging
while the sky at the wall in zhe giang is rich with red highlights

it is hard for both of us to separate so far from home
we both wish to return but neither of us can do so yet
it is no different for the two of us to cry together
than it was when jia yi wailed expressing his grief

murphy assuming grandiose airs on state occasions

li bai xvii-33

i escort the bachelor ji as he leaves for yue

blue waters of the sea do not totally satisfy your eyes
the splendor of the waves do not uplift your heart
you already have the knowledge of peng lai
the island of the blessed is nothing by the back of a giant turtle

i escort you as you leave to reach the top of hua ding
while you sing me the song zhuang xi of the country of yue
in yue the immortals stay on she di mountain
the daoists make their home in shan yin xian

you will seek the river where you can enter the cave da you
deep behind another ridge you will finally reach yun men shan
at night when the autumn moon shines through green ivy
i will think of you as i pluck my strings in contemplation

murphy tuning his guitar to sing alone in his apartment

li bai xvii-34

i escort governor chen as he departs for chang sha (1 of 2)

the restless energy of governor chen is legendary
it exceeds the life force of the dark green spruce
the exalted ruler has given you five horses as governor
and these are all dragons from the waters of heaven

the xiang river at chang sha has nine bends
and one can see in the distance the five peaks of heng shan
i look with wonder as you proceed on your way
and profoundly regret not being able to follow you into the distance

murphy always watching others rise in position

li bai xvii-35

i escort governor chen as he departs for chang sha (2 of 2)

the province of chang sha is composed of seven districts
it lies south of the border on the banks of the xiang river
duke ding of chang sha said when his sleeves flared as he danced
that the country was so small he could hardly turn around in it

your allotment of 2000 bushels of rice should suffice for your needs
your task is to keep the peace amid distant foreign customs
the road back to your home on dong ting lake is very far
but you will return in the spring and i look forward to visiting you there

murphy ever the master of courtly protocol

li bai xvii-36

i escort yang yan as he leaves for east lu

yang shen, the confucian from shen si,
was already recognized as a sage in the han period
four generations of his descendants became high dignitaries
their glorious fame spread into the heavens and among men

you, oh master, live in hua yin in shen si
where your door opens to the grandeur of tai shan
why did you earlier move to the heng huo mountains
your ship with the high sails only recently returned from there

sit here among your friends and allow me to cheer your sad face
i want to sing to you my odd little verses
i myself come from an aristocratic family
and was undeservedly welcomed to the imperial feasts

after i had once left the gold flower palace
i wandered sadly on the shores of the great river
then i took leave of my two children east of the lu gates
now an entire year has passed since then

you are going to the place i left them behind
my tears flow freely as if water from a spring

murphy a prophet in a strange land

li bai xvii-37

i escort the mountain hermit cai along his way

i originally wished to give up the world
but instead gave myself to the world of men
and conjured up a mystical ship
upon which i travel throughout the wide world

cai ze from yan strived for a brilliant career
how tang zhu would have laughed at his folly
he who will win the pearl from the dragon’s mouth
must not rouse the dragon from his slumbers

the moon rises above the pines of your mountain home
it awaits you there in full brilliance of its glory

murphy gregarious, but always thinking of solitude

li bai xvii-38

i escort xiao, 31st of his clan, as he leaves for lu zhong, and i ask him to inquire there about my son bo qin

in this sixth month the south wind blows over these white sands
the cattle of wu wheeze under the moon and reddened clouds
the lands along the great river are sultry and injurious to one’s health
in this hot season you should not drive your carriage on a long road

how can you, oh master, begin this journey along the great river
yet even now you high sail fills and you forsake nan ging
for your mother leans on the gate waiting for her only son’s arrival
lu zhong is where you will meet your father and learn from him

my family is now living temporarily in the vicinity of sha qiu
it has been three years since i was there and i long for them
you are now going to this area and you know my son bo qin
could you, perhaps, find him a small chariot pulled by white sheep

murphy doing important things only by proxy

li bai xvii-39

i escort hermit yang as he leaves for the sung mountains

i once lived in an ancient dwelling on you nu peak
it rises on the southern edge of the sung mountains
i trust that the crescent moon will always be there
peaking through the pines on the banks of the east river

you go there to pick the herbs of the immortals
the most precious being found among the lush purple flowers
at the end of the year i will try to visit you there
i will be riding a white dragon through the dark blue sky

murphy always striving for a grand entrance

li bai xvii-40

i escort yin shu (1 of 3)

i do not understand the waters of the sea and those of the great river
they have risen during the night and flooded the area with a high tide
now the distance between the islands and the stream banks is much wider
and your ship where we celebrate with wine is further from the shore

we are looking to make the pain of separation less in our drunkenness
as we beat time on the sides of the ship for our long drinking songs
it is now morning you should prepare to leave us now
a favorable wind will take your ship away into the distance

murphy always up for a party, especially on a sad occasion like a wake

li bai xvii-41

i escort yin shu (2 of 3)

the moon shining on white heron island sets at sunrise
it portends the departure of the honored guest
the morning sun rises from behind the green dragon mountain
it begins to break up the misty clouds of the evening

the water flows on without sympathy for us mortals
the sails of the ship break out as the wind quickens
as we look to each other we cannot bear the separation
let us therefore empty our cups yet again, and again

murphy awkward as usual in his goodbyes

li bai xvii-42

i escort yin shu (3 of 3)

intoxicated we party on among the bamboos
the lamps grow dim and the moonlight shines through the cold
our drunken songs scare a white heron
in the middle of the night it rises from the shore

murphy rarely a hoot own but always up for a party

li bai xvii-43

i escort cen shen who was once appointed by the emperor as he leaves for ming gao mountain

cen shen comes from a family of ministers of state
whose sole ambition was to serve as once did xie an
through many generations came men such as guei and lung
yet had three who failed until finally came zhong tai

you, a distinguished man, stand foremost in your time
and have been blessed with an appointment by the emperor
how is it that you have decided at this point in time
to recuse yourself and go to the mountains as a hermit

you exemplify the dao and always strive to improve yourself
and now you wish to secrete your brilliance in solitude
you have penetrated to the core of daoist teachings
and are one with changes in nature and the boundless universe

once when the emperor guang wu di ruled the world
he had a great helper and friend in yan guang
he was there but did not accept an office in lo yang
but was something of an official like chao fu or xu you

i also left the service of my illustrious emperor
and for this people have called me a haughty subject
now you will climb high mountains and visit sites of antiquity
and will become the neighbor of guang cheng zi

you would rather jump in the sea as a fitting reward
and to return to the mountains as your correct path
since your return from chang an you sit and fan yourself
and have joined me in the dust of you liang to eschew officialdom

murphy stepping down as a principal to mingle more with his students

li bai xvii-44

i escort the mountain hermit fan as he returns to tai shan

you, the old man of lu, seize hold on the white crane
you take your leave of me and return to tai shan
you beigin to float away as if a snowflake
and begin your climb up the green cliffs far away

higher and higher you go to approach the pearl gates
there you will be at :the first spying of the rising sun”
clouds rise up to obscure any pursuing eye
when will you again return for another farewell

murphy anticipating a future the duplicate of the present

torusflex

string figures and poetry

murphy’s li tai bo von zach XVII

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