Six Pentasyllabic Regulated Verses Composed After Sobering Up, Rhyming on "Ox, Flow, Autumn, Sorrow"

2007/11/17 13:35:18

Just arrived in Beijing. Transcribing below the six pentasyllabic regulated verses composed this morning after sobering up, rhyming on "ox, flow, autumn, sorrow":

Six Pentasyllabic Regulated Verses Composed After Sobering Up, Rhyming on "Ox, Flow, Autumn, Sorrow"

Chán Zhōng Shuō Chán

I

Draining the western river's wine
a long song shakes the Dipper and Ox
Splitting clouds, heaven and earth as pillow
sun and moon flowing in my palm
Light and shadow rise on clear waves
fish lost in the emerald sea's autumn
On this bleak night of wind and rain
waking drunk — the sorrow of all ages

II

Dazed, scaling the empyrean
spiraling upward to the Dipper and Ox
Heavenly wind scatters the six dragons
ocean vapors stream with ten thousand stars
Through the window, Chu mountains at dawn
the door opens to Xiang River's autumn
A short poem dispels last night's wine
remnant dreams brew fresh sorrow

III

Winds and clouds full of tigers and leopards
stampeding — how many sheep and ox?
In heaven and earth I stand alone
rise and fall — twin tears flow
The people — their hearts yearn for dawn
the nation — my temples gray before autumn
The road stretches long and far
alone I shoulder the sorrow of rivers and seas

IV

Not distinguishing red, yellow, or white
calling everything horse-ox-wind
Wolves and sheep share the same delegates
clear and turbid share the same flow
All dance beneath the midday sun
who observes the single leaf of autumn?
So many affairs through all the ages
the dream shatters, leaving only sorrow

V

Wary of a thousand fingers pointing
questioning the dutiful ox
Dragons and snakes share the same den
Jing and Wei rivers may flow together
Eastern Sea's yellow — not rain
Western mountains' red — hardly autumn
Divine words hang at the Nine Gates
ghosts weep, the Nine Heavens grieve

VI

Cook Ding's skill has grown clumsy today
the whole world carves the golden ox
What has no quality becomes a commodity
what enters the flow becomes mere logistics
All feelings as if for one single night
why bother with enterprises lasting a thousand autumns?
Zhang Heng wasted his efforts in vain
his lovesick heart composed the Four Sorrows