bai ju yi 3 01 demurral for quitting as senior secretary in the imperial secretariat
bai ju yi 3 02 stopping at yang cheng way station, seeing the moon
bai ju yi 3 03 traveling a well worn road
bai ju yi 3 04 grief comes again
bai ju yi 3 05 meeting zhang zhi the eighteenth, auxiliary secretary to the bureau of waterways
bai ju yi 3 06 going toward hang zhou, staying again at the flowering almond way station, seeing yang the eight’s old poem inscribed, moved to write a curtailed verse
bai ju yi 3 07 words inscribed to a daoist priest
bai ju yi 3 08 on the wilderness road at nei xiang village
bai ju yi 3 09 on the road, sending a silver spoon to little turtle
bai ju yi 3 10 overcome by feelings while boiling tea at a mountain spring
bai ju yi 3 11 poem of parting given to wang the eighth, governor of ying prefecture
bai ju yi 3 12 seeing the name of the venerated qian inscribed on the wall of the temple of good omen
bai ju yi 3 13 inscribed again at cloud gate
bai ju yi 3 14 docked at night, thinking of home
bai ju yi 3 15 encountering wind and rain at the north bank of the nine rivers
bai ju yi 3 16 rising late on the boat
bai ju yi 3 17 autumn cold
bai ju yi 3 18 regaling a guest at an evening banquet in the commandery building
bai ju yi 3 19 drunkenly inscribed at the pavilion of awaited immortals
bai ju yi 3 20 east courtyard
bai ju yi 3 21 empty hall
bai ju yi 3 22 an evening at leisure singing my feelings. i invite the music official zhou and the two refined talents liu and xue to join me
bai ju yi 3 23 pleasures of the night
bai ju yi 3 24 decay and illness
bai ju yi 3 25 sick, watching a sick crane
bai ju yi 3 26 returning at night
bai ju yi 3 27 after the twelfth month observance and before the new year, i sing my feelings of the beauty of nature
bai ju yi 3 28 white hair
bai ju yi 3 29 singing my feelings in poetry as governor qian of ho zhou and governor li of su zhou send me two varieties of wine, one after the other, but we have no way to drink together
bai ju yi 3 30 late in the year
bai ju yi 3 31 living in bamboo pavilion
bai ju yi 3 32 at year’s end governor zhang of chu prefecture sends me a poem and a letter so i respond in kind with these seven character lines
bai ju yi 3 33 answering refined talent xue’s poem “how we sought the plum blossoms and drank together”
bai ju yi 3 34 dancing with guests on an empty stomach
bai ju yi 3 35 my little one
bai ju yi 3 36 new bamboo near a small bridge, i invitge guests
bai ju yi 3 37 welcoming autumn by inviting a guest to drink
bai ju yi 3 38 a drunken song for the sing song girl jade shang
bai ju yi 3 39 responding to wei zhi from my seat at the banquet
bai ju yi 3 40 in answer to censor governor li of su zhou
bai ju yi 3 41 eating a full meal
bai ju yi 3 42 seeing off the spring with a bit of wine
bai ju yi 3 43 new garden trees, feelings in song
bai ju yi 3 44 governor after three years (1 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 45 governor after three years (2 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 46 leaving the cassia and forget sorrow lily behind
bai ju yi 3 47 stopping the night at the mouth of the huai river, returning from you hang
bai ju yi 3 48 greeting master li, down from the mountain to spend the night on my boat
bai ju yi 3 49 chance poem in lo yang
bai ju yi 3 50 presented to assistant district magistrate su
bai ju yi 3 51 the lute
bai ju yi 3 52 to a crane
bai ju yi 3 53 walking quietly below the forest, a note sent to shih xiang fu, tutor to the crown prince
bai ju yi 3 54 beside the pond (1 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 55 beside the pond (2 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 56 the gift of words
bai ju yi 3 57 lying sick in the north pavilion
bai ju yi 3 58 one leaf falls
bai ju yi 3 59 receiving a gift of a red stone plectrum from cui of hu zhou, i inedequately respond with this poem
bai ju yi 3 60 four not as good as wine
bai ju yi 3 61 inscribed at spirit cliff temple
bai ju yi 3 62 personal songs (1 of 5)
bai ju yi 3 63 personal songs (2 of 5)
bai ju yi 3 64 personal songs (3 of 5)
bai ju yi 3 65 personal songs (4 of 5)
bai ju yi 3 66 personal songs (5 of 5)
bai ju yi 3 67 in answer to yuan zhen’s poem “listening to my wife play the lute in the mode of separated cranes”
bai ju yi 3 68 poems written for the poetry collection of late attendant yuan (1 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 69 poems written for the poetry collection of late attendant yuan (2 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 70 there is fine scenery in wu (1 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 71 there is fine scenery in wu (2 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 72 bai’s response
bai ju yi 3 73 asking myself why not, slow down, enjoy the scenery
bai ju yi 3 75 answering a poem by liu you xi
bai ju yi 3 76 asking beautiful miss yang
bai ju yi 3 77 expressing my feelings (1 of 3)
bai ju yi 3 78 expressing my feelings (2 of 3)
bai ju yi 3 79 expressing my feelings (3 of 3)
bai ju yi 3 80 returning to my birth town
bai ju yi 3 81 approaching my home town on the zhen and the wei
bai ju yi 3 82 delight in a branch of flowers
bai ju yi 3 83 sent to shi huang fu advisor to the crown prince
bai ju yi 3 84 drunkenly scribbled on the shen zi ming’s wall
bai ju yi 3 85 bring on the wine
bai ju yi 3 86 fallen flowers
bai ju yi 3 87 chanting in front of the mirror
bai ju yi 3 88 humming the poem “tuning the ears” (sent to don shi and meng de)
bai ju yi 3 89 jotted down on the ninth day for the two courtesans lo and fan, asking poet shu in the qi liang poetic style
bai ju yi 3 90 answering cui hui shu, adviser to the crown prince, who wrote a poem to me on the fourth of the twelfth month hinting that we should get drunk together
bai ju yi 3 91 ply me with wine
bai ju yi 3 92 sent to recluse wei during the great hear and drought in the sixth year of “grand harmony” (832)
bai ju yi 3 93 appointed to a new post i leave for the capital, poem left for wei shi
bai ju yi 3 94 answering the poem “my years” received from yuan zhen
bai ju yi 3 95 answering yuan zhen’s poem “flowers in rain”
bai ju yi 3 96 answering yuan zhen’s poem “tasting the new wine”
bai ju yi 3 97 answering yuan zhen’s poem “shun shi’s lute”
bai ju yi 3 98 moved by an old portrait
bai ju yi 3 99 returning to lo yang, appointed social secretary to the crown prince
bai ju yi 3 100 autumn by the pond (1 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 101 autumn by the pond (2 of 2)
bai ju yi 3 01
demurral for quitting as senior secretary in the imperial secretariat
this shameful, stupid servant
squats below purity and eminence
with only his foolish heart
afraid of being a parasite
i only wish to enhance
your lordship’s godly quest
i only feed my wife and child
stave off starvation and cold
i lack social graces of propriety
how hope to receive your favor
ill destined as i’m said to be
success has been hard for me to find
i can offer no semblance of value
except retiring as secretary
to accept your gracious notice
to earn my official reward
murphy kowtowing with the best of them
bai ju yi 3 02
stopping at yang cheng way station, seeing the moon
the carriages of friends now homeward bound
wife, child behind, now i leave the city gate
only the moon above the phoenix pond
stays with me, on past shang mountain
murphy always leaving somewhere
bai ju yi 3 03
traveling a well worn road
thinking back to the day i received orders of return
i think of the two other men who traveled the same road
how life is but a short ephemeral dream
how quickly lives become clouds of mist
but yao shi is jade burnished from the underworld
yu ping the flame of a wind dancing candle
and i, lo tian, do indeed linger on my way alone
white haired, traveling to the east of the great river
murphy watching his cohorts die off
bai ju yi 3 04
grief comes again
stopping my horse, resting, on the side of the road
i’m overcome with feelings, and can only sigh
torn apart, not caring whether i live or die
the first effusion of flowers has withered away
so here i sit with my green-bamboo cane
i stroke my beard that’s now grown white
i sigh not because i age and wither
but for half my friends who are already gone
murphy tired and coasting down stream
bai ju yi 3 05
meeting zhang zhi the eighteenth, auxiliary secretary to the bureau of waterways
my thoughts as i traveled were deep and removed
then the pleasant surprise of meeting you on the road
a stormy morning darkening the leaves of the forest
autumn wetness enhancing the smells of grass and flowers
this river city governor white haired, growing old
the waterways bureau official robed in green
we stay together overnight in the guest pavilion
suddenly it’s like being home from the office of an evening
murphy hating, just hating to travel
bai ju yi 3 06
going toward hang zhou, staying again at the flowering almond way station, seeing yang the eight’s old poem inscribed, moved to write a curtailed verse
there is truly no difference between past regrets and new grief
as i decide to inscribe a poem below the rafters
i am envious of a friend who even in his dreams still sees his brothers
dawn brings a hesitant light and for me there is no sleep
murphy not having seen his brother for a long eight years
bai ju yi 3 07
words inscribed to a daoist priest
a deserted house burns in a stiff wind
a dismasted boat tosses on bitter seas
no power can stop either burning or drowning
you sit in peace, below the mountain, in purity
murphy seeking nothing, calm and collected
bai ju yi 3 08
on the wilderness road at nei xiang village
a brisk wind at sunset on the cool wilderness road
lazily prodding a tired horse as thoughts of home return
there in wei village the autumn colors must be like this
purple dates, crimson pears, yellow tassels of rice
murphy remembering bluebonnets in the texas spring
bai ju yi 3 09
on the road, sending a silver spoon to little turtle
a banished officials hard becomes hard
leaving one’s native village becomes easier
but leaving my nephew little turtle behind at home
brings tears that fall down from the balcony
children should be reared patiently, gently
i ask the old nurse, lady tsou, to bring especial care
and i seal and send little turtle a silver spoon
so that he should remember me, eat well and prosper
murphy a family man first and foremost
bai ju yi 3 10
overcome by feelings while boiling tea at a mountain spring
sitting quietly pouring briskly boiling water
watching green dust of tea blossom to taste
a man should not be alone to drink his tea
i am overcome with longing for home and family
murphy never able to stay single for long
bai ju yi 3 11
poem of parting given to wang the eighth, governor of ying prefecture
once i was a guest mad for poetry
now i am a man lusting for wine
i strive to read verse, but my eyes grow bad
i abandon myself to drink, but find scant joy
my temple hairs grow ever more white
half my closest friends dead and gone
wang, don’t loathe being in ying city
it’s closer to chang an than where i am going
murphy accepting a hard assignment reluctantly
bai ju yi 3 12
seeing the name of the venerated qian inscribed on the wall of the temple of good omen
three years i haven’t seen you
clouds and rain lie between us
a thousand miles and more of land
rivers with crashing waves, bitter winds
i am overcome with fierce feelings
alone and forlorn, deeply melancholic
i find myself driven to despair
when i see your name on the wall of the temple
murphy with fresh wine and no friends with which to share
bai ju yi 3 13
inscribed again at cloud gate
i remember clearly these streams and rocks
a scattering of trees and only a few monks
how long ago did i leave the water pavilion
and tonight i lodge once more at cloud gate
before when i offered poetry to the throne
i cast off recluse garments but accomplished nothing
not a single thing did i achieve with my striving
now have i returned with a head of white hair
murphy revisiting the ball field where he lost the championship
bai ju yi 3 14
docked at night, thinking of home
as i travel i take along few things but many worries
sleepless this night i gaze in the direction of home
the shore is brightened by the river reflected moon
the sails gleam white over the securely moored boat
we are near the sea so the river has widened
as autumn arrives the days have grown shorter
i have traveled thirty days through mists and waves
and still i haven’t reached the city of hang zhou
murphy hating, positively hating, to travel
bai ju yi 3 15
encountering wind and rain at the north bank of the nine rivers
in yellow plum county the rain falls like ripe yellow plums
this white haired old man sits midst tossing white capped waves
at nine rivers the water is so wide the far bank can’t be seen
the end of the fifth month and the winds are snarly and evil
there are any tranquil paths to find in this vast human world
why do i find myself tossed into the middle of this maelstrom
murphy bemoaning a streak of hard luck
bai ju yi 3 16
rising late on the boat
the sun is high in the sky and i am still in bed
by the window of the boat i slip back to sleep
my pillow and mat are delightfully cool
it is a early fall day in the eighth month
perhaps we will anchor close to a wine shop
on the river we often travel among fishing boats
i find myself sent out to the land of rivers and lakes
where i will be of little use to the country
there are certainly sages at court who can be
i am to proceed eventually to qian tang lake
there perhaps i will idle away a few years
long days and nights, tippling, writing verse
murphy poring over maps leading to his final destination
bai ju yi 3 17
autumn cold
snow in the hair above an old timeworn face
frost in the courtyard, wind the breath of autumn
sick, i wait for my wife who gathers herbs
i am cold, yet sit for the maid who combs my hair
what is fame compared to robust, good health
why involve oneself in the paltry affairs of man
when innermost being craves the peace of non-desire
i am content with the doctrine of the empty boat
murphy mesmerized by the gentle waves on the haitian shore
bai ju yi 3 18
regaling a guest at an evening banquet in the commandery building
a guest from the north of the city has called on me
i arrange a sumptious banquet for him in the east tower
we raise the screen and wait for the moon to rise
we take a torch to view the incoming tide
we sit in harmony listening to the song “bamboo branches”
we eat well and share many cups of fragrant wine
the night grows cold near dawn as we end our feast
then the long slow ride back to our respective homes
murphy always the host at his own birthday party
bai ju yi 3 19
drunkenly inscribed at the pavilion of awaited immortals
walking now with a limp but still carrying an official red seal
the flowery tassel of my cap contrasting with my white beard
how can one ever hope to halt the ravages of age
the only response is to always seek delight and pleasure
wine still serves to bring me times of intense joy
the poetic urge never fails to bolster my feelings
and i still have the solidness of health and limbs
to climb over the mountains and admire the rivers
murphy refusing to ever give in
bai ju yi 3 20
east courtyard
the balcony lies below the pines
the room lies below the bamboo
the eaves are warmed under a cloudless sky
my rope bed is a perfect vantage point
i have three volumes of the recluse vimalakirti to read
and the lute of master rong qi is at my side
age advances and my teeth are now decayed
i have come to detest the sour orange
sickness now visits often, my lungs parched
i am most appreciative of a fragrant tea
i will also pour myself a tasty wine
even if there are no friends around to share
i find myself here in this room
and hurry to enter into a drunken state
murphy becoming a solitary drinker in his dotage
bai ju yi 3 21
empty hall
i stand before an empty hall
retired, no office to attend
nothing stirs within my heart
i move my bed to catch the sun
lie down at leisure, sing songs
my lute serves nicely as my pillow
bai ju yi 3 22
an evening at leisure singing my feelings. i invite the music official zhou and the two refined talents liu and xue to join me
having to earn a living i became a court official
but at bottom i am a lazy rustic, a man of the fields
i hang my lamp high like in a travelers inn
my night torch is kept low like in a monk’s hut
the wine is fragrant, ripe for the tasting, come share it
my verse is finished, won’t you come and write a response
though, if you aren’t in a singing mood, we can always drink
we can enjoy ourselves, i will provide the girls and food
murphy never neglecting a chance at revelry
bai ju yi 3 23
pleasures of the night
the far shore glistens after the rain
the sun sinks behind the city structures
the mountain peaks are still bright from the sun
a rainbow struggles to complete itself
the pines darken as dusk begins
pairs of cranes return to their roosts
officials scatter back to their chambers
only a few archivists persist in their labors
i content myself humming a few old tunes
leisurely leaning into the new bamboo
they are in seed and filled with white powder
sifting down it clings, sprinkling my red robe
murphy enjoying the bright spring day nature has managed
bai ju yi 3 24
decay and illness
age and sickness, one then the other
my hair so thin i can’t pin it up
the only medicine is a morning stroll
i sleep little at night, candles aglimmer
half my food i now offer to the cranes
my court dress almost all given to the monks
my fractious nature now truly ascendant
my official career become an unraveled rope
murphy owning up to his loss of vigor
bai ju yi 3 25
sick, watching a sick crane
this sick old man has pity for a sick crane
its spirit undaunted but with weakened wings
we both can no longer fly up into the heavens
and can only search for our food here, together
this sad song i write mimics its plaintive cries
its lofty dignity a behavior one should emulate
yet another thing i share with my companion
my hair and its feathers both resemble frost
murphy guilty of anthropomorphism as charged
bai ju yi 3 26
returning at night
half drunk i take a leisurely jaunt
wandering east of the lake shore
beating my stirrups with a horse whip
i note how the reins glitter in the moonlight
thousands of pine trees green the mountain
miles of sandy dunes bright under the moon
i stand in the shadow of the corner tower
it shifts slowly across the road i have traveled
the tide is now at flood and just beginning to ease
a cool breeze ruffles the surface of the river
i have returned before the ensemble is finished
the singing now comes to its proper end
the gates under the painted shield swing open
the candles inside burn red in their intensity
murphy acutely aware of all around him
bai ju yi 3 27
after the twelfth month observance and before the new year, i sing my feelings of the beauty of nature
plum blossoms already half white by the vast waters
willows slightly yellow as the ice begins to melt
days are longer now after the twelfth month festival
no longer will we be hassled by sleet and frost
the scenery improves as i welcome the spring
i am in hang zhou rising late to the official drums
walking lazily outside the city i lean against the low fence
as i gradually free myself from duty i grow stronger
i can proudly say that today as governor of the province
i will never tire of the spring beauty of yu hang
murphy counting the days to his retirement
bai ju yi 3 28
white hair
hairs snow white fall down as i comb
frosty hair arches over my brows
i give in to the feelings of old age
my looks changed from then til now
one cannot always have hair black as lacquer
it will finally turn to be more like silk
though i admit i hated a bright mirror most
when my head was turning, half black, half white
murphy accepting the visage of an elder
bai ju yi 3 29
singing my feelings in poetry as governor qian of ho zhou and governor li of su zhou send me two varieties of wine, one after the other, but we have no way to drink together
i am comforted with a gift of “below bamboo”
the brew that is best for forgetting worries
it is sent to this wine loving old man of river city
but with a prefecture tripod where can we three meet
one wine bottle, then two, but when can we share
i would love to pour the renowned “bamboo leaves”
brimming the goblet with its green essence
for when i drink it my face turns peachy red
my memory will never forget that time we shared
drinking uproariously in the west office of south palace
murphy an ocean away from his drinking buddies
bai ju yi 3 30
late in the year
my days of strength are suddenly gone
why do i need to talk of transient honor
my duty is to my family’s hundred mouths
i support them as head of one large prefecture
if one should neglect my white hair and beard
he could speak of my red carriage wheels of office
i am sick and it is hard to administer the commandery
yet, though old, i am still in his lordship’s favor
i will leave my brothers at the end of the year
decayed in body and with no sons to care for me
i am filled with worries, well aware of the world’s snares
with nothing but the doctrine of the empty gate to sustain me
i must hold my sash in my hand my waist is so emaciated
when i look at the lamp i sense only my dimming sight
if i were not so needy of clothes and food
i would surely hasten back to my native hills and gardens
murphy holding on despite the onset of decrepitude
bai ju yi 3 31
living in bamboo pavilion
i sit under the eaves by the pine trees
before going to sleep in the bamboo pavilion
my mind free, blank, as if taking drugs
alone and lonely, as if in the mountains
cleverness will never be better than simple
working, striving, will never replace leisure
the way to achieve the dao is acceptance
therein lies the ultimate gate profound
murphy on roller skates gliding downhill
bai ju yi 3 32
at year’s end governor zhang of chu prefecture sends me a poem and a letter so i respond in kind with these seven character lines
what are your feelings like in the western prefecture
here i find i am barely meeting my administrative duties
stopping the horses beside floating rock pool
at the pavilion “overlooking the waves”
i received your letter and poem in your impeccable hand
ten thousand words written with a talent hard to match
the five character lines inventive, fresh and evocative
the entirety of the missive brimming over with thought
i am, of course, only an insignificant writer of verse
and can only send you this insignificant peach and plum
in response to your splendid example of old jade
murphy glib in his self effacement
bai ju yi 3 33
answering refined talent xue’s poem “how we sought the plum blossoms and drank together”
suddenly i find cold plum blossoms within the forest
facing the flowers i salute them with a cool glass of wine
i turn my white horse back to greet my poet guests
a red feast is spread, we eat while awaiting the dancing girls
mournful tunes are sung as small delicate blossoms fall
we are intoxicated by the wine as petals drop one by one
even though this year is cold and no rain or snow falls
we still find time to imbibe to a mellow tipsiness
murphy raising his glass to the delicacy of ephemeral beauty
bai ju yi 3 34
dancing with guests on an empty stomach
guests were invited a few days ago
drinking at dawn to ward off the cold
masters of liquor assembled on a yin day
the sages of wine gladden the morning
knees pressed together, white cups in action
drunken faces suffused, deeply all red
green jade tallies piled in the rice bowl
red sleeves swoop over the dice basin
drunkenness progresses, songs more unusual
wildness of feeling makes dancing difficult
then we put our cups down, have a small chat
no one thinks we are too old to have our fun
murphy tossing them back like the young buck he was
bai ju yi 3 35
my little one
a lo is my little girl’s name
a lo has just seven years
it bothers me that i have no son
it’s a pity she has no brothers
though i rear her without a plan
it is fortunate she is truly bright
like her mother she darkens eyebrows
she imitates me as i chant my poems
i’m old, my teeth begin to fall out
her second teeth are just coming in
my hair has vanished from the top of my head
her topknot is just beginning to grow long
age and youth never wait for one another
the father decrepit while the daughter is young
i think deeply on the hearts of the ancients
who were never stinting in love or compassion
cai yong remembered wen zhi
duke yu mourned bi ti yong
i cannot retain my strength through you
but i can never forget how a father feels
murphy treasuring especially his girl children
bai ju yi 3 36
new bamboo near a small bridge, i invitge guests
goose teeth columns hold up a small rainbow bridge
my white room low beneath the overhanging eaves
what lies before me in front of the bridge
new bamboo shooting upward one after another
the bark splits, bursting forth with a brown brocade
joints revealing new formed green of jade
this new skin so delicate it could be eaten
while powder of frost cannot bear the touching
i sit here idly chanting poem after poem
the private joy in my heart refuses to fade
a fair cool breeze stirs the veil of mist
which shamelessly obscures the grass and the trees
it is a night clear above, lit by the moon
won’t you come and share this forest with me
we can enjoy ourselves by tilting a glass
singing together the “bamboo branches” song
murphy preferring company for his frolics
bai ju yi 3 37
welcoming autumn by inviting a guest to drink
i am alone and have no wine guest for company
i have been sick in my bed for a month or more
trying to harmonize my body with medicinal herbs
reading through old books of pharmaceutical lore
now nights are clear, the smoke is blown away
the mornings are cool but no one comes to visit
my hair has been white now for quite some time
yes, autumn has come to enter my sick heart
i lie about but it’s cold under the bamboo eaves
wind penetrates my coarse sichuan fiber clothes
yet now my body feels healthiest at night
how about coming over for a small drink or two
murphy desperate for drinking friends
bai ju yi 3 38
a drunken song for the sing song girl jade shang
the barbaruian zither is quiet, the qin pipa covered
tinkling jade bows agasin, her first set of songs finished
how can anyone say this governor doesn’t understand song
i learned by listening to the white cock greet the rising sun
while white sun saps the older man, sinking slow away from noon
the red tassel hanging from my waist is still in rhythmic motion
my face in the mirror already faded from its fresh rose
how old am i, tinkling jade, how old is this man you see
won’t you follow this, my song, with another of your own
murphy delighting in delightful female company
bai ju yi 3 39
responding to wei zhi from my seat at the banquet
i live west of the zhe river
you travel to its east
don’t say it’s only a river
it’s the same as ten thousand miles
no one who is rich is inviting you to drink
this night empty your glass with me
murphy always giving more than he takes
bai ju yi 3 40
in answer to censor governor li of su zhou
whate haired governor bai of yu hang
long lamented his appellation of white
having once left his home north of the wei
twice drank new year’s wine south of the jiang
i am trying to appear strong midst the full cups and songs
but my looks are gradually fading before the mirror
i am embarrassed to hold a commandery in my desuetude
but delighted the next prefecture holds a life long friend
the grass of chang zhou lines the song river banks
blossoms liven the serpentine at the mouth of mirror lake
as we get older can we still drink as we did the rest of our way
when spring comes can we still take full advantage of the frolics
i depend on the oriole to take these words to li the sixth
and entrust a letter to the goose to take to yuan the ninth
don’t sigh that one is frenetic day after day after day
treasure each year that yet enters into your living hands
murphy sharing life’s vicissitudes with old friends
bai ju yi 3 41
eating a full meal
after the full meal i brush off the pillow to lie down
after a restful sleep i rise and idly sing a few songs
i pour a small glass of wine only half full
at leaisure i play a few songs on my pipa
this is the way i manage to elevate my feelings
it’s enough to let me scorn the passing of time
i wonder if anyone realizes how my life has changed
fame and profit offered at chang an lure me no longer
murphy retired and meeting old age with equanimity
bai ju yi 3 42
seeing off the spring with a bit of wine
the fruit of the cherry now litters the ground
but the roses retain their sweet fragrance
a long three months of spring now gone
while orioles sang at night on the city walls
alone i hold a full cup of wine
see off the spring at south pavilion
half drunk when suddenly this long song
and as i sing what shall i say
i can say i’m over fifty
but not as yet enfeebled old
neither poor nor rich
most third level officials older than i
yes, among the graduates of my same year
not one in ten lives yet today
half my close friends are ghosts
my servant cares for grandchildren
yes, i can count myself rather fortunate
and a bit of wine brings delight and joy
murphy extracting the meat of his rituals
bai ju yi 3 43
new garden trees, feelings in song
fourth month just starting, cloud follows cloud
fresh leaves on the new trees shadow the ground
their weave and sway of wind a startling scene
a dappled beauty dancing into the courtyard
here you find a man who has nothing of value
who wishes nothing more today than solitude
who doesn’t merely enjoy the garden scene
but senses a solution for his anguish deep within
at times i speak with those who follow the dao
and listen quite often to guests singing poems
bidding spring farewell with all its fragrant colors
at night i enjoy the courting calls of birds
then i enter the realm of calm seclusion
forget heart’s bother of the world’s dust
realize that those capable of true hiding
need not escape to mountains and forest
murphy letting spring come its raw new ways
bai ju yi 3 44
governor after three years (1 of 2)
three years i’ve been the governor
my achievements not much to praise
all i have to save are ten or so poems
all composed about my hang zhou days
i fear i have not written much of worth
nor will anyone remember me as governor
murphy stepping down as principal to be a mere teacher
bai ju yi 3 45
governor after three years (2 of 2)
three years i’ve been the governor
gnawing on tree bark, drinking ice
all i take away from my time in hang zhou
two ancient rocks taken from the mountains
but that is like a thousand in gold
for i leave my position unsullied and clear
murphy fair to a fault
bai ju yi 3 46
leaving the cassia and forget sorrow lily behind
i am to leave my home here as governor
i planted cassia and lily never to see them blossom
they say cassia has a way of keeping one from leaving
they also talk about the forget sorrow lily
what i take with me is the moon over the river
step by step it has come to see me off
murphy leaving sweetwater in west texas
bai ju yi 3 47
stopping the night at the mouth of the huai river, returning from you hang
as governor i wasn’t overworked, mostly light duties
now that i’ve left the post i’m more idle than ever
nothing i have to do, no burdens on my heart
the boat glides on, the river reflects a bright moon
we anchor at night north of the huai river
but why is it a concern that only matters to me
my family shares my desire to find rest and peace
i agreed to an official salary for three years
much more than enough for food and clothes
even my servants happy, well fed, and warm
forward, forward, sharing the dance of clouds and river
hour by hour, hour by hour, closer to home
nothing could be more satisfying to the heart
murphy with moccasined feet on his desk
bai ju yi 3 48
greeting master li, down from the mountain to spend the night on my boat
night and day the boat has sailed in silence
mists rising, waters deep and rapid
now how can i persuade my guest to stay
for a night of wine and the autumnal qin
my guest is master of the daoist gate
he comes down from song gao mountain
lofty, high is its cloud crowned visage
with warmth and joy i welcome him to heart
knowing each the other well, we stand quiet
darkness descends, a buddha’s compassion
silent, we look at each other and smile
heart touching heart until hearts are forgotten
murphy never to become a medicine priest
bai ju yi 3 49
chance poem in lo yang
five years i served in the han lin academy
four years i oversaw matters in xun yang
one year i was the governor of a commandery
and half a year i was a south palace gentleman
then two years helping to draft memorials
three more years as governor of hang zhou
in these fifteen years more than a thousand poems
describing nature and local customs i’ve seen
i’ve neglected only lo yang in my writings
i ask myself does this cause concerns
i am now chief of the spring palace here
perhaps i will find time to amuse myself here
wandering to and fro along the yin and the jiang
where i might find inspiration for a song or two
yes a song while tilting a goblet filled with wine
relieving melancholy by wielding my brush
and in time i can add comments to the books i read
here i can relax, look about, and laugh at meself
as eyes grow more muddled and hair more white
not unaware of old age, still abandoned to poetry madness
murphy welcoming the fantasies of old age
bai ju yi 3 50
presented to assistant district magistrate su
your fame has grown ever higher for full thirty years
and only today do i meet you for the first time
now you depart, below song mountain, along the lo river
after the leisurely heart to heart while drinking our wine
i have heard that you are disinclined to move about
and your office gate most often remains closed
you and i are both becoming white haired elders
who spend their time idling about in the warm spring sun
so why shouldn’t we both leave at dawn hand in hand
and retire at night on our two tired horses
we can carry along a wine jug or three
spend the night at dragon gate mountain
murphy hardly ever alone while sipping a cold one
bai ju yi 3 51
the lute
my lute lies on the small table
it sits quietly, satisfied
why continue to play it
its strings vibrate in the wind
murphy disappearing before it all
bai ju yi 3 52
to a crane
each man comes to like different things
and things change with their feelings
some prefer you when you dance
better for me when you silently stand
murphy seeking stasis if only for a moment
bai ju yi 3 53
walking quietly below the forest, a note sent to shih xiang fu, tutor to the crown prince
supported by my crane stick i rise from my illness
though i still lack the strength to whip my steed
i am reluctant to leave through my thorny gates
no visitor comes yet to my courtyard to seek me out
so i have let myself assume an idleness of purpose
and stroll here and there in the garden and forest
this dawn was again faint through a misty screen
birds still distant within the forest’s cold
i send this note to the leader of officials in the east
so that he will know of my heart still apart
murphy on an unofficial sabbatical and liking it
bai ju yi 3 54
beside the pond (1 of 2)
i am clearing an area west of the pond
trimming the trees on the eastern side
no one knows why but i can tell
i want a place to sit and watch the moon
murphy exhibiting habitual behavior
bai ju yi 3 55
beside the pond (2 of 2)
i have fetched a large knife to cut the bamboo
with bamboos thinned the wind comes through
no one seems to guess why but i can tell
i want to see ripples ruffle the quiet pond
murphy particular in preparing his sitting place
bai ju yi 3 56
the gift of words
i could bear a gift of a bamboo basket
and have within it a thousand of gold
but why have a conversation about gold
instead i offer wine and words to treasure
the illumination of my place in life came late
i caution all to set and pursue their goals early
treasure the time you flow like a spring breeze
soft and rippling like fresh fragrant grass
at twenty, one has just grown to full power
at thirty, one is sliding into age and decay
those peach bloom contours in the mirror
will fade away before a decade is done
why sit around with soul brimful with caring
find the courage now to lay bare your heart
murphy gathering rosebuds while he may
bai ju yi 3 57
lying sick in the north pavilion
trees a deep summer green, wed to evening shadows
the northern wind insures cool pure morning air
lotus blossoms begin to shine in newborn sun
even the cranes change their cries to welcome beauty
the surrounding scene is quiet, leisurely, solitary
it fits my feelings as i alone face my fading health
i have enjoyed fiifteen full days of sick leave
the last ten lying in this delightful pavilion
but tomorrow an official will greet my awaking
and i shall perforce return to governing the multitude
murphy in harness and happy to pull his weight
bai ju yi 3 58
one leaf falls
summer’s heat is not yet gone
though furtive cool breezes now arise
hot then cold, flourish then decay
the living cycle, outside then inside
autumn forest bends to soughing wind
one leaf suddenly the first to fall
don’t think this is merely a trifle
the cascade of leaving starts anew
murphy noting another wrinkle in the mirror
bai ju yi 3 59
receiving a gift of a red stone plectrum from cui of hu zhou, i inedequately respond with this poem
my lute is swaddled in green gauze, tied with red silk
precious stones have lain in the old valley rhousands of years
whenever i share music my feelings are deeply touched
we take my lute in the autumn court in the eighth month
i am drawn to thoughts of mountains and streams
which imbue my sounds with colors of gold and jade
there is nothing to compare in the world of music
nothing except this moment in your heart and mine
murphy understanding gifts are forever
bai ju yi 3 60
four not as good as wine
don’t buy treasured scissors, that’s a waste of gold
i have a sadness in my heart they could never cut away
don’t polish awls for untying knots, they could never untie my guts
don’t dye silk threads red and boast of their fine deep color
they could never thread together my twin pearls of tears
don’t revere the fire and the red stove, their heat bakes in vain
they could never thaw the white now frosting my temples
a blade can’t flense out a heart’s melancholy
an awl cannot untie knots in intestines
silk strings cannot thread pearls of tears
and fire cannot melt snow on mountaintops
it is best to drink a brimming cup with the sages
put to rest a thousand sorrows, ten thousand thoughts
murphy happily sliding into the lethe of wine
bai ju yi 3 61
inscribed at spirit cliff temple
his palace for beautiful women, his hall for resounding music
his pond for washing inkstones, his path of bloomed perfumes
all these destroyed. all these torn apart by this world
in spring the green grasses cover them all
and have for hundreds of years under the moon
the governor was old, ridden by tumultuous thoughts
walking here and there holding his cup of wine and his whore
here the music presents his grief, his old remorse
and then will come the reeds and the strings
then the singing of that old song “liang zhou”
sung the same now as it was then, in those ancient times
i think too much, the middle flute section passes me by
murphy going into the silence in the tsalagi way
bai ju yi 3 62
personal songs (1 of 5)
every morning i thread through the people
every evening i move through their mass
glory and honor last but a moment
working and saving, what does it get you
the rare chance that a man and honor coincide
should lead to gentle humor at the oddness that presents
what is most important to a sleeping man
his dreams, or the realization he is dreaming
murphy a wage slave most of his life
bai ju yi 3 63
personal songs (2 of 5)
my family now consists of fifty mouths
my commandery is a thousand families
i visit the world as head of tax collection
at home i am to provide for my clan’s well being
flood and drought are my constant fears
having then to comfort the starving and cold
how is this different from a weed eating insect
whose taste knows nothing but bitter on bitter
murphy toting more than his share
bai ju yi 3 64
personal songs (3 of 5)
much too busy at both home and office
worn out, fatigued, where is my pleasure
tired of welcoming then despatching guests
more and more loath to punish malfeasants
and my old ears are tired of all the music
mouth becoming averse to evevn wine cup and saucer
i have lost my taste for anything i might do
how can i not quit this mess to rescue myself
murphy finally out to pasture and grazing at will
bai ju yi 3 65
personal songs (4 of 5)
i finish a hard day and know next day’s the same
i ask myself, why this stodgy drudgery of service
other than the need for ready money to hand
when all i want is to retire to my farm
depending on how simple i could make my life
i could run free while i still had my strength
why wait around til there is enough for luxury
how many more years, how many more years
murphy taking early retirement in a second
bai ju yi 3 66
personal songs (5 of 5)
my official residence is not like my cottage
my official garden lacks the beauty of my trees
back there in lo i have a small house
and in wei there is a country home
now, while i am unentangled by marital duries
i have a feasible roost i can go home to
it’s already late to make myself free again
but still better than my staying here
murphy free at last, free at last
bai ju yi 3 67
in answer to yuan zhen’s poem “listening to my wife play the lute in the mode of separated cranes”
there is nothing weightier in duty than a wife
who prefers death to life long separation
your problem will last til the day you die
but it’s a hard thing to do with a barren woman
shang ling was a man who followed the rites
yet his wife was taken away without his consent
he was forced to leave his in-laws next dawn
husband and wife share the stars which penetrate the dark
they rise in the depths of night to hear two cranes parting
their cries the same as if they were people
listening to the clamor of their heartfelt cries
brings forth a faith in life’s depth of kinship
eight, nine months since he’s faced the green fields
while the other now stays a thousand miles away
back and forth, back and forth, up in the clouds
the sad sobbing rain becomes west-east running waters
listening to this story as a song of the lute
distresses the listener to his heart and his marrow
playing it under a full autumn moon
it enters the ears as a grieving man
sorrow is repressed, the red strings are stilled
sinking into thought, stopping the jade fingers
hearing once again the mourning cries of the childless
each thinking of the other like the two cranes
yet even if you face the thin fate of no children
there is still a wife to be with you in old age
thus fortunately avoiding a life long parting
such a bitter fate given to master shang ling
murphy unable to live alone any length of time
bai ju yi 3 68
poems written for the poetry collection of late attendant yuan (1 of 2)
having gone to the yellow springs in the afterworld
how could i expect you to know me as i now am
white haired and able to be with you only in memory
with only an old man’s tears to shed on my friend’s writings
murphy watching the candles snuff out in winter’s cold wind
bai ju yi 3 69
poems written for the poetry collection of late attendant yuan (2 of 2)
my old friend has left me thirty rolls of his songs
roll after roll, gold and jade sound and resound
they buried his body in the dirt of dragon hill plain
his body may moulder away but never his fame
murphy wondering where he could fit in another book case or two
bai ju yi 3 70
there is fine scenery in wu (1 of 2)
the autumn here is rich in its color
in many ways it rivals the vibrance of spring
leaves of the water plants are still fragrant
magnolia blossoms still cling to the trees
a light rain skitters over the surface of the water
the fine dust vanishes from the river bank
the heat ebbs away and my clothes remain dry
as the tide rises boats leave the shore
with but two rituals a day one now has more leisure time
and for the first time in a long while it is cool at noon
a visiting official from the mountains tells his governor
it is a perfect day for a few hours off for a bit of a frolic
murphy happy at harvest time before winter brings its aches and pains
bai ju yi 3 71
there is fine scenery in wu (2 of 2)
there is fine scenery here all over the land of wu
it is beautiful to contemplate both day and night
at dawn the smoke of ten thouand families glows pink
in the evening autumn winds sough through eighth month trees
riding in a boat listening to the music of woodwinds
past the protected bridge whose banners fly high
its tower renamed as the tower that reaches the clouds
then comes the reopened martial mound road
hereabouts in the heat of the prosperous season
one can find many fine souls who are ready to party
the people all speak of the excellence of the governor
they wish him to stay and not abandon his post
murphy reluctant to leave the students in his school
bai ju yi 3 72
bai’s response
an official is satisfied with his 600 piculs of grain
ancient worthies when paid this much often retired
my emoluments have climbed to 2000 picules
and only now do i leave to return to my home
my allowance now has been surprisingly large
it shames me to have been so slow in my work
but i am truly thankful i am not under the dirt
and can battle my way on, through my old age
i was taken to bed and had to leave my post for 100 days
i came back from sickness only to sing 5 songs of withdrawal
in the morning i take leave of the officials of the prefecture
in the evening i will say goodbye to the common people
last year when i came to take my place at this commandery
wheat buds had just turned yellow, the fields luxuriant, dense
this year as i come to take leave of this commandery
the rice blossoms are full white, starting to fall off
all in all in my time there has been one rich year
and a half year plagued by starvation and drought
the people have not one jacket or trouser whole
there is not one trunk of an apple tree remaining
why then do all of them, young and old alike
drench their garments with tears as i leave
on the one hand their tears make me ashamed
on the other i am embarrassed by their affection
murphy packing it in for the last time
bai ju yi 3 73
asking myself why not, slow down, enjoy the scenery
it was last month i left behind the city of jing kou
i have now reached the banks of the huai river
i have managed only150 miles in a full 20 days
i ask myself, why am i proceeding so slowly
i find myself returning home with hardly any plan
the commandery is behind me and i am flush with cash
entering officialdom i wished for neither wealth nor eminence
leaving office i have no fears of starvation or the cold
because of my situation it will be easy to pass my days
prancing happily from place to even more scenic place
looking up to the mountains i can rest on my oars
visiting temples where i can inscribe my poems
in the depths of the night to be sobered by wine
then finding deep and restful sleep til the sun is high
my eyes so satisfied they need nothing more to see
with a 100 unawarenesses ready to spring from my heart
when i think ahead to when i reach the capital
i see myself as lazy and abandoned as i am now
why should i raise the wind and the waves
there is no reason for me to rush or hurry
murphy innertubing down the river
bai ju yi 3 75
answering a poem by liu you xi
we’re to travel together for a long time, 1000 li
for we are going to the same place, the city of chu
doomed to be on the road during year end festivities
but we are both going home, soon will come spring
the mountains still sport snow, still white up there
the ice on the river huai is clearing, about to thaw
let’s compose poems to celebrate our homecoming
and hurry along, and not drink too much on the way
murphy snuggling in to safe harbor
bai ju yi 3 76
asking beautiful miss yang
when the ancients sang they sang with the beat of their hearts
while men of our time are content to merely raise their voice
i explain all these subleties to you and you miss their point
so maybe i will go and ask beautiful miss yang to listen
murphy happy to blather to willing listeners
bai ju yi 3 77
expressing my feelings (1 of 3)
when i first wore red robes and a purple sash
my hair was heavily flecked with white
in my early years of strength i was poor and humble
wealth and honor came my way in my twilight age
carriages stir up the red dust of the road
mansions exude the green smoke of candles
there is an unchanging pattern of things
a mansion is much more than a hut
but it is no different than an inn
what i lack in my life are sons and grandsons
i am a hollow cicada, a shell, nothing more
a silk worm builds a cocoon
a lovely blossom produces seeds
then the bloom darkens, fades
having made and secured its cocoon
the silkworm finishes, sickens, dies
what’s a man to do with a life like this
it is nothing but the way of things
murphy childless and growing old
bai ju yi 3 78
expressing my feelings (2 of 3)
don’t waste time feeding a skinny colt
don’t try to instruct a young woman in sex
the results are evident before you start
you don’t need to need to fight it, just watch what’s around
a fattened colt is always ready to run
an experienced woman can both sing and dance
and in four or five years she will move on
she will find another, richer, master
consider old master and the incumbent new
who is more delighted, who is more burdened
if you please, why not i write an inscription
my words are ready for the waiting brush
murphy finding his time for inspiration
bai ju yi 3 79
expressing my feelings (3 of 3)
i don’t burden myself thinking about the past
for i remember mostly sadness and grief
for i don’t fret about what little future i still have
it’s change, and all change is vexatious
i think my best efforts should be to quietude
to find the self immobile, shrinking down
when food comes open your mouth to eat
when sleep comes close your eyes to dream
two things most essential for our being
enough tranquil sleep and regular meals
forget passion, trust to what comes and goes
accept your life as it is, be it long or short
and when the whim strikes you again
sing wild songs, sip cup after cup of wine
murphy ready for his weekly revel
bai ju yi 3 80
returning to my birth town
i was born and spent my early years in yong yang
small and young when i left that life behind
a long time ago, a long forty years
now i’m returning to yong yang to stay
i was only eleven or twelve when i left
this year i will enter my fifty-sixth year
again caught in childhood dreams
it is like they never left my eyes
my old house is no longer there
i have not a single clansman i can find
it isn’t only streets and markets
changed also are the hills and valleys
the only things the same, the zhen and the wei
flowing green, inexorable, as they did of old
murphy visiting the park he once played in
bai ju yi 3 81
approaching my home town on the zhen and the wei
the sun sets as i rest my journey horse
deep in thought, thinking back to old feelings
the state of zheng has been changed forever
but the rivers zhen and wei still flow clear
but where are the women who used to gather here
there’s not even the old ones selling forget-me-nots
murphy driving through austin in the spring
bai ju yi 3 82
delight in a branch of flowers
delight in a branch of flowers
while filling the jug with wine
if i don’t take advantage of this day and drink
i know i will regret it in the light of morning
for if you manage to spend each day
in full pursuit of pleasure and joy
you will wrinkle with age and lose your hair
and we all know that eventually happens
drunk i stretch out my arms
sing a small verse of knowing
laughing i throw down the dice
and find joy when i throw them well
i feel good about things and i have my strength
i may last for another four or five years
murphy not yet ready to cash it in
bai ju yi 3 83
sent to shi huang fu advisor to the crown prince
i have left the desire for fame and profit behind
aging body at ease i find my life congenial
i lie down as sparrows flit through my gate
but no one else comes to bother my restful sleep
after a sufficient nap i shake out my clothes
fully awake i stroll about the garden
after a sufficient feast i stroke my stomach
and find i have not a single thing on my mind
apart from you, the heir of an ancient family
who else is there who knows this idle joy
murphy retired at last, retired at last
bai ju yi 3 84
drunkenly scribbled on the shen zi ming’s wall
i saw the ten stands of chrysanthemum
out to the east of your pond
i saw the stand of ten thousand bamboo
out to the south of your pond
but what i truly love is your singing girl
her color hibiscus, her sound jade
come, i know a new song for her
when you hear it your heart will be torn
murphy uneasy with the ease of privilege
bai ju yi 3 85
bring on the wine
i invite everyone for one drink
please share with me
i encourage you all to two drinks
don’t hesitate
i encourage the world to three drinks
that’s when you’re first aware
today you are older than you were
the day before
slightly drunk is better than being sober
heaven is far away, the earth long lasting
white hare of moon, red crow of sun
follow one another forever
why pile up gold to touch the sky
better in life to always have wine
don’t you see, the sun grows brighter
beyond the bright gate of spring
i come upon a great noise, wailing for the dead
this traveler stops his horse, the way is blocked
white funeral carriages wrangle and clog the road
i return back home, white haired
pawning my hair pin to buy some wine
murphy steadfast in resistance to rational thought
bai ju yi 3 86
fallen flowers
can’t live spring forever, spring doesn’t stay
all men are saddened, as it side slips away
can’t hold back the wind, it’s seldom calm
all the flowers fallen, blown to the ground
since i am moved to sighing before the wind
perhaps we should pour wine beside the flowers
i have a nice new batch of the green brew
the one that inspires men to pluck red blossoms
peach tree blossoms, a glowing heat of fire
blossoms of the pear, an ocean of fresh snow
here stands lonely, a sickly eyed flower
its bloom still yet, not falling before spring wind
murphy flush from a sunny spring walk
bai ju yi 3 87
chanting in front of the mirror
a white haired old man stands
seeing his reflection in the mirror
covers it and sinks deep into thought
then sings old poems from twenty years ago
then there was only one white strand
now there is white silk covering his head
don’t ever say a single strand is negligible
the entire head of white starts from there
song ended i turn my head to find the wine cup
intoxication building i count my friends on bent fingers
most of those older than i are poor and humble
they are still alive but hungry and cold
half of those younger than i have become earth
with four or five branches plucked clean at their graves
i count myself lucky to be able to see my white hairs
my sinecure enough, my official post not low
with wine before my eyes
and heart without anguish
i should seek delight and joy
and not give in to sorrow
murphy growing fonder of his turkey wattle neck
bai ju yi 3 88
humming the poem “tuning the ears” (sent to don shi and meng de)
at thirty and forty one burns with the five desires
at seventy or eighty one gathers a hundred ills
at fifty and sixty one has the last best chance
both active and aware, cleansed in body and mind
heart tranquil, at ease, without lust for fame and name
and time enough before the befuddlement of age
still with the strength for mountains and rivers
still with the passion to hear flute and strings
new wine to open and pour, trying a few cups
drunkenly humming old poems, one by one
don shi, meng de, please come and join me
no need to waste the age when one’s ears are tuned
murphy regaling his buddies not to waste time working
bai ju yi 3 89
jotted down on the ninth day for the two courtesans lo and fan, asking poet shu in the qi liang poetic style
lo fu holds back her serving hands
fan zhi gives to me the first cup
but i don’t see official shu
why waste open chrysanthemums
murphy willing to share the good times
bai ju yi 3 90
answering cui hui shu, adviser to the crown prince, who wrote a poem to me on the fourth of the twelfth month hinting that we should get drunk together
there are only 26 more days left this year
and next year i become sixty two
even more incapable of keeping my body whole
how could i handle myself in the political affairs of men
this recluse eludes the fish trap of the world, sits mute
you, muddled with strong wine, find your pillowed sleep
sooner or later we will find our selves together again with drink
and there is only a short distance for either to travel
murphy scheduling his carousals
bai ju yi 3 91
ply me with wine
ply me with wine and i will not refuse
if i ask you to sing, don’t say no
long sad sounds, sore words bruise
all hearing the song have sadness infused
a lo yang girl has a face that flowers
this honan official has a head of snow
murphy sill hanging with the young chicks
bai ju yi 3 92
sent to recluse wei during the great hear and drought in the sixth year of “grand harmony” (832)
a proud sun poison’s the earth with its heat
animals and plants, both, wither and die
the drought sun dries the clouds to wisps
flames and smoke remove what’s left of green
when i was young i was troubled, distraught
how much more so i have become, sick, and old
i have no white sandalwood to burn
how will i ever handle this heat distress
a sweaty handkerchief is tied round my head
my bones steam in this dreadful heat
now i know why mountaineer wei
desists from grains, lets his hairs go scatter
murphy drinking red river water piped into dallas, 1952
bai ju yi 3 93
appointed to a new post i leave for the capital, poem left for wei shi
last year in the middle of the tenth month
you were traveling past zhe dong
this year at the end of the fifth month
i’ve started my journey to guan zhong
both places sleepy and very quiet
and they hold our hearts apart
for when the river is flooding
there is no way to get across
from now on the ferry man will have less to do
not having to deliver our bamboo encased poetry
murphy hating to get up every morning to go to work
bai ju yi 3 94
answering the poem “my years” received from yuan zhen
i have reached the age of fifty seven
what is it that i have accomplished
first and second level official exams
success in the full three upper exams
governor of two prefectures, so and hang
yet my talents remain shallow and thin
i expended my energies to no success
and now i find i have to follow the lower castes
ending my old age within the dusty earth
murphy philosophizing with a friend
bai ju yi 3 95
answering yuan zhen’s poem “flowers in rain”
the almighty creator wields life and death from his seat of power
giving long life to useless things and only a short life to man
the crane on its pine branch, the tortoise within the yarrow
never experience death for well over a thousand years
man’s life will never be like the tortoise or the crane
youth goes and age comes, night follows the day
how different it is, the life of the opening flowers
yielding their delicacy before the wind and the rain
grass lasts year after year, evergreens last month after month
only the flower must make do with only a short season
there are a full three hundred sixty days in the year
but how many days before the flower will die
the peach and the plum have no voice for their grief
they can’t complain, but the golden oriole has a song
so i will rely on it for a comment on this sadness
though what the oriole says is yet unclear to me
he boldly indulges his trilling tongue
flitting below the leaves, above the branches
murphy sniffing the spring ephemera
bai ju yi 3 96
answering yuan zhen’s poem “tasting the new wine”
tasting new wine on an empty stomach
perhaps i’ll have an early morning drunk
then wrap myself in woolens and furs
to sleep away until a late luncheon
a deep sleep, drunk, no words, no laughter
true slumber, a sleep devoid of dreams
oblivious to surrounding heaven and earth
waking replete with pleasurable feelings
i rise and sit, quiescent, doing nothing
then i raise my arm and flex it alive
retrieve my lute and begin to play
indulge myself with autumn sounds
murphy with a double bushmills as his breakfast
bai ju yi 3 97
answering yuan zhen’s poem “shun shi’s lute”
a new moon glimmers over the flowered courtyard
a flickering candle illuminates the room with orchids
inside sits a jade beauty softly playing her lute
i think of a cold stream flowing over rocks
then she sings of crystalline pooled depths
and evokes a winter wind sifting through the pines
this gentleman is disabused of his love
for ordinary sounds of strings and reeds
murphy listening to the jazz combo’s “kitchen” hit a groove
bai ju yi 3 98
moved by an old portrait
li fang captured me as i was
painted me twenty years ago
i don’t know how true it really is
the paints have faded with time
but rose face and black beard
then change both day and night
but i don’t sigh for my long-lost looks
happy i am to be still alive
murphy
bai ju yi 3 99
returning to lo yang, appointed social secretary to the crown prince
i have left behind the south and chang an
now i am dusting off my clothes
here in the east, in lo yang
and i go to be behind closed doors
sickness and old age both afflict me
heart and body have begun to falter
white haired, i offer no inviting visage
i endured in office but retired relieved
how i envy those owners of
the purple herb of immortality
hearts reaching out as one
though through a thousand years
murphy establishing a connection
bai ju yi 3 100
autumn by the pond (1 of 2)
i am not stressed in body, my heart idle and at ease
even more so is this old house throughout the night
i am outside again at the pond as autumn begins
it grows dark, but after the birds roost, the bridge brightens
it is that time of night when the fall moon shines
the smell of chestnuts visits on the breeze
a cold dew glistens on the fading cassia
i’m overwhelmed, alone, in the quietude
i ask, who can ever know the heart of solitude
and i wonder, why is fall so late in coming
murphy milking his melancholy
bai ju yi 3 101
autumn by the pond (2 of 2)
my dress of morning feels thin, yet i know its thickness
my sleeping mat ready, glistening in the evening dampness
the time to sacrifice to the god of earth is near
the shadowy darting swallows are no longer seen
the rains seem to never stop, cicada sounds are weaker
with nothing much to do i escape into my poetry
this forlorn world, how hard it is to find the words
to make the dew on the lotus turn into pearls
the wind in the bamboo sound as lightly tapped jade
who shall i invite to come, to share this autumn moon
the heat is departing, the fresh early coolness returning
this is the perfect season, out by the pond
murphy always wanting to share