Li Po - The birds have vanished into the sky
Ivan M. Granger July 21st, 2008
The birds have vanished into the sky,
by Li Po
English version by Sam Hamill
The birds have vanished into the sky,
and now the last cloud drains away.
We sit together, the mountain and me,
until only the mountain remains.
— from Endless River: Li Po and Tu Fu: A Friendship in Poetry, Translated by Sam Hamill
/ Photo by Ryan McD /
One way to read Li Po’s poem is that the birds are chattering thoughts. They represent the movement within that leads to the misperception of separation without. But thoughts can soar so high, reach such elevated levels, that they vanish in the sky of mind.
The clouds are obstructions of awareness, limiting the perception of the untainted vast mind. And, with the birds, clouds too “drain away” in deep stillness.
(Yet, even when clouds are thick and heavy, even when birds flit about in their busyness, the sky itself, original mind, contains it all and remains pure and still beyond the obstructions.)
The mountain is that which is eternal, fixed, both rooted in the earth and touching the heavens. Watching this “mountain” of eternal presence long enough, in deep stillness you find that you are nowhere to be seen. You are surprised to discover that everything you reflexively called “me” was never really there in the first place, and “only the mountain remains.” The “mountain” is finally recognized as your true Self, your only self, eternal. Effortlessly, you bridge heaven and earth by your very nature. And only That remains.
OR –
You can ignore all of that, and just step into this serene sketch of a quieting landscape.
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Li Po |
Li Po (sometimes written as Li Tai-Po or Li Pai or Li Bai) is considered one of the greatest of the premodern Chinese poets, along with Tu Fu.
Li Po was raised in Szechwan in western China, and traveled widely throughout China in his life.
In his 40s, he was appointed to a high academy position by the emperor in recognition of his work, but he was later exiled for political reasons. He later worked in the service of a southern prince who rose up in rebellion. When that prince lost his struggle, Li Po was exiled a second time, but eventually pardoned.
Li Po’s poetry is particularly known for its elegance. It suggests a certain serene poise in relationship to the world and the quiet mind observing it.
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I adore Li Po. I have some books of
zen like poetry and he is represented in those,
I believe. There are so many hidden gems of
poetry waiting to be discovered, it’s exciting.
I hope that your mother will have the best
outcome from her medical interventions and
soon return fully to her regular activities.
Don’t worry too much! I think you are a worrier
like me. Thanks for the wonderful poetry and
Blog. I can’t donate now- our business is in a
definite down swing, but there are always other
things one can do if necessary.
Thank you, Patti.
Li Po is one of those deep lake poets. You can read his work for years and never touch the bottom…
And I really appreciate your note about my mother. I like to tell myself I’m not much of a worrier, but fundamental issues like that sure have a way of triggering the worry reflexes.
Also, please never feel that you have to make a donation. When it’s easy, donations are certainly welcome. But your supportive thoughts are just as valued.
Ivan