COPYRIGHT
©
1960
BY THE
PETER
PAUPER
PRESS

THE
JADE
FLUTE
· · ·
CHINESE
POEMS
IN
PROSE

CONTENTMENT

WHEN YOU ASK WHY I DWELL HERE DOCILE AMONG THE FAR GREEN HILLS, I LAUGH IN MY HEART. MY HEART IS HAPPY.

THE PEACH-BLOSSOM WATCHES THE RIVER RUNNING BUT REMAINS CONTENT. THERE IS A BETTER HEAVEN AND EARTH THAN THE BUSY WORLD OF MEN. [Li Po]

I HAVE SEEN A ROAD

I HAVE SEEN A ROAD THAT WANDERS IN GREEN SHADE, THAT RUNS THROUGH SWEET FIELDS OF FLOWERS. MY EYES HAVE TRAVELED THERE, AND JOURNEYED FAR ALONG THAT COOL FINE ROAD.

BUT I WILL NEVER REALLY WALK THAT ROAD; IT DOES NOT REALLY LEAD TO WHERE SHE LIVES.

WHEN SHE WAS BORN, THEY BOUND HER LITTLE FEET WITH LEATHER BANDS; MY BELOVÈD NEVER WALKS THE ROAD OF SHADE AND FLOWERS.

WHEN SHE WAS BORN, THEY BOUND HER LITTLE HEART WITH LEATHER BANDS; MY BELOVÈD NEVER LISTENS TO MY SONG. [Anonymous]

FLOATING NARCISSUS

FADED NARCISSUS, FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER TO TIENOUAN.... IF YOU SEE THERE A YOUNG GIRL DREAMING, UNDER A CINNAMON TREE THAT HAS BLOSSOMED TWICE SINCE WE EMBRACED, TELL HER ... I SMELL A FRESH CARNATION TO REMEMBER HER PERFUME. [Wan Ts’u]

THE FRIENDS

YOU RODE A YELLOW HORSE, I RODE A WHITE ONE.... HORSES TWO COLORS, BUT OUR BOYISH HEARTS WERE ONE.

WE RODE TOGETHER THROUGH THE COUNTRY, A PAIR OF PRANCING PEACOCKS ... OUR JEWELED LONG SWORDS SHINING IN THE SUN, OUR TALL HEADDRESSES SCARLET, AND OUR PRECIOUS FURS WORTH THOUSANDS ... WE WERE GUESTS OF ALL FIVE ORDERS OF NOBILITY.

NOW, MY FIERCE TIGER FRIEND HAS CRASHED INTO A TRAP. IT IS FINE TO FACE FATE NOBLY ... BUT IF MY BRAVE COMRADE IS IN DANGER, WHAT PLEASURE CAN I FIND IN BEING FREE AND HAPPY? [Li Po]

A NEGLECTED WIFE

A WINDOW OPENS AND A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN LOOKS OUT. HER EYES ARE WET AS SHE LOOKS AT GRASS TURNING GREEN BEFORE HER HOUSE, AT WILLOWS IN NEW LEAF ALONG THE RIVER. IN TIMES PAST, WHEN SHE LOOKED OUT, SHE SANG.

WHEN YOU OWN A TREASURE YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO KEEP IT. MY FRIEND, YOURS HAS TWO BEAUTIFUL LEGS: BE CAREFUL, OR IT WILL RUN AWAY! [Mei Chang]

THE POET AND THE DANCERS

HERE, DAY AND NIGHT, THE PRETTIEST WOMEN OF THE EMPIRE ARE DANCING ... SONGS AND LAUGHTER ECHO FROM THE GOLDEN SCREENS.

WHEN ALL THE OTHERS ARE OVERCOME WITH DRINKING, I PUT DOWN MY WINE. I TAKE MY BRUSH, I WET THE GOLDEN INK, AND I WRITE SAD POEMS WITH SWAYING CHARACTERS THAT LOOK LIKE THESE ROSY BODIES STREWN ON A MARBLE FLOOR. [Chang Wu-chien]

I WILL BE ALONE

THIS LAKE AT KUEN-MING, HOW WONDROUS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF HAN! THEN IT FLOATED A PARADE OF PROUD WAR-JUNKS GAY WITH FLAGS ... NOW IT IS ONLY A BARE MIRROR AT NIGHT FOR THE SPINNING BOY ... THAT STAR-BOY WHO DOES NOT FLEE FROM COLD.

BLACK SEED-PODS FROM THE KOUMI BLOW ON IT NOW. THERE ARE LILIES AND LOTUS-FLOWERS TOO ... BUT SOON THE NORTH WIND WILL RIP AWAY THEIR LEAVES.

AND I WILL BE ALONE WITH MY UNHAPPINESS. [Tu Fu]

REMEMBER TO WEAR THEM

A SHADOW ON THE WINDOW-SCREEN.... WHO COMES GATHERING MY FLOWERS? SHE MAY PICK THEM IF SHE WILL, BUT WHAT WILL SHE DO WITH THEM?

THE BEST SPRAYS ARE THERE BENEATH THE EAVES. PICK MORE OF THESE ... AND REMEMBER, YOU WHO GATHER FLOWERS, WEAR THEM IN YOUR HAIR. [Chiang Chieh]

WILD GEESE

FAR IN THE NORTHWEST STANDS A HOUSE, HIGH ITS TOWER IN THE CLOUDS. EMBROIDERED CURTAINS ARE AT THE WINDOWS. THE TOWER RISES IN THREE STEPS, AND FROM THE TOWER FLOATS A SONG, A SAD SONG WITH A SAD LUTE PLAYING BESIDE IT. WHO CAN THE SINGER BE?

SURELY IT IS SHE WHO HAS NO HUSBAND LEFT TO HER, NO FATHER LEFT, NO CHILD. HER SONG FOLLOWS THE WIND; IT RISES AND FALLS. WITH THE SINGING, SOBBING ... GRIEF IS VICTOR OVER HER STRONG WILL.

SHE DOES NOT SORROW THAT HER LIFE IS SAD, BUT THAT SO FEW CAN UNDERSTAND THE SORROW IN HER SONG. O, TO FLY LIKE THOSE TWO WILD GEESE, RISING WITH BEATING WINGS! [Anonymous]

CONTENTMENT

LAZILY WAVING A WHITE-FEATHERED FAN I LIE NAKED ... A GREEN DELL IN THE MOUNTAINS. I HANG MY HAT ON A JUTTING ROCK ... I COOL MY HEAD WITH PINEY AIR. [Li Po]

TO THE EMPEROR

WITH THIS I SEND A MIRROR ... IT IS PURE ROUND AND IT IS CLEAR WHITE, TO REMIND YOU OF THE MOON WE GAZED AT WHEN WE WERE LAST TOGETHER IN THE GARDEN.

MAY IT ALWAYS STAY WITH YOU, AND MAY IT STIR SWEET MEMORIES.

BUT I KNOW: BY AUTUMN YOU WILL CAST IT ASIDE FOR SOMETHING NEW, AS YOU HAVE CAST ASIDE ITS LOVING SENDER. [The emperor’s favorite, Pan Tie tsu]

WHEN THE SWALLOWS RETURNED

WHEN THE SWALLOWS RETURNED LAST YEAR THEY MADE THEIR NEST IN THE EMBROIDERY ROOM. THEY GATHERED CLAY FROM THE FLOWER-GARDEN, AND SCATTERED DUST OVER HARP AND BOOKS.

WHEN THE SWALLOWS RETURNED THIS YEAR, NO ONE HEARD THEIR TWITTERING SPEECH. SHE WHO HAD ROLLED UP THE SCREEN FOR THEM WAS THERE NO MORE.... IN THE AMBER TWILIGHT A SOFT-PATTERING RAIN. [Hsin Ch’i-chi]

THE WORLD AROUND US

DREAD LORD, DO NOT WAVE YOUR SCEPTER: IT IS BEJEWELED. DEAR DANCER, DO NOT WHIRL YOUR SCARVES: THEY ARE ORCHID-FLOWERED. PALE POET, DO NOT FLAUNT YOUR HEART: IT IS RADIANT WITH LOVE.

OUR WORLD CARES ONLY FOR UNENCHANTED THINGS. [Li Po]

YOUNG GIRLS OF OLD

IN A TINY GROVE WITH FLOWERS EVERYWHERE, YOUNG GIRLS OF DAYS GONE BY SIT LOOKING IN THEIR MIRRORS.

THEY SAY: “SOMETIMES WE THINK THAT WE HAVE GROWN OLD, THAT OUR HAIR IS WHITE AND