Saturday, May 12, 2007

407. On A Painting - Su Tung P'O

Su Tung P'O (1036-1101) - On A Painting By Wang The Clerk Of Yen Ling
(Translated from the Chinese by Kenneth Rexroth)

The slender bamboo is like a hermit.
The simple flower is like a maiden.
The sparrow tilts on the branch.
A gust of rain sprinkles the flowers.
He spreads his wings to fly
And shakes all the leaves.
The bees gathering honey
Are trapped in the nectar.
What a wonderful talent
That can create an entire Spring
With a brush and a sheet of paper.
If he would try poetry
I know he would be a master of words.

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