You ask why I make my home in the mountain forest
by Li BaiEnglish version by Sam Hamill
Original Language Chinese
You ask why I make my home in the mountain forest,
and I smile, and am silent,
and even my soul remains quiet:
it lives in the other world
which no one owns.
The peach trees blossom,
The water flows.
-- from Endless River: Li Po and Tu Fu: A Friendship in Poetry, Translated by Sam Hamill |
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/ Image by neil alejandro /
After a challenging week, I thought I'd share a moment of peace...
I smile, and am silent,
and even my soul remains quiet...
These lines bring me to rest.
The mind at rest, the entire self at rest, all silt having settled, leaving only quiet clarity. One becomes empty, a spacious, silent witness to the world's unfolding.
The peach trees blossom,
The water flows
Have a beautiful weekend!