Wheel-Rim River Sequence by Wang Wei
At home beside this stream, quiet, no one here.
Wheel-Rim River Sequence
Apricot-Grain Cottage Roofbeams cut from deep-grained apricot, fragrant reeds braided into thatched eaves: no one knows clouds beneath these rafters drifting off to bring that human realm rain. Bamboo-Clarity Mountains Tall bamboo blaze in meandering emptiness: kingfisher-green rippling streamwater blue. On Autumn-Pitch Mountain roads, they flaunt such darkness, woodcutters too beyond knowing. Deer Park No one seen. In empty mountains, a hint of drifting voice, no more. Entering these deep woods, late sun- light ablaze on green moss, rising. Magnolia Park Autumn mountains gathering last light, one bird follows another in flight away. Shifting kingfisher-greens flash radiant scatters. Evening mists: nowhere they are. South Lodge I leave South Lodge, boat light, water so vast you never reach North Lodge. Far shores: I see villagers there beyond knowing in all this distance, distance. Golden-Rain Rapids Wind buffets and blows autumn rain. Water cascading thin across rocks, waves lash at each other. An egret startles up, white, then settles back. White-Rock Shallows White-Rock Shallows open and clear, green reeds past prime for harvest: families come down east and west, rinse thin silk radiant in moonlight. Magnolia Slope Waterlily blossoms out on tree branches flaunt crimson calyces among mountains. At home beside this stream, quiet, no one here. Scattered. Scattered open and falling.
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These poems are excerpted from The Selected Poems of Wang Wei (New Directions Publishing, 2006). and Mountain Home: The Wilderness Poetry of Ancient China (New Directions Publishing, 2005). Translated by David Hinton.
Source: Terrain.org, October 4, 2015.
"At home beside this stream, quiet, no one
here. Scattered. Scattered open and falling."
Magnolia and poet. Scattered open and falling. Closer and closer to the North Lodge.
That's great - full of colour and flavour