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Climbing Long-View Mountain's Highest Peak

by Meng Hao-jan
(689 - 740) Timeline

English version by
David Hinton

Original Language
Chinese

Buddhist : Zen / Chan
8th Century

Rivers and mountains beyond the form seen:
Hsiang-yang's beauty brings them in reach,

and Long-View has the highest peak around.
Somehow I'd never climbed its cragged heights,

its rocky cliffs like walls hacked and scraped
and towering over mountains crowded near,

but today, skies so bright and clear, I set out.
Soon the far end of sight's all boundless away,

Cloud-Dream southlands a trifle in the palm,
Warrior Knoll lost in the realm of blossoms.

And back on my horse, riding home at dusk,
a vine-sifted moon keeps the stream lit deep.

 

 

-- from The Mountain Poems of Meng Hao-jan, Translated by David Hinton

Amazon.com

 

Themes

  Dream
  Moon
  Mountain
  Sky
  Sleep


Recommended Books


The Mountain Poems of Meng Hao-jan, Translated by David Hinton
The Poetry of Zen: (Shambhala Library), Edited by Sam Hamill / Edited by J. P. Seaton
Sunflower Splendor: Three Thousand Years of Chinese Poetry, Edited by Wu-chi Liu / Edited by Irving Yucheng Lo

 

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Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2011 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.