Chinese Poems Part 7

[26] The name of a genial companion of earlier days.

_The Flower-Seller_[27]

BY TSING-NIEN

TSING DYNASTY

The sun is sinking in the sky, It scarcely reaches a flagstaff high; And now the pretty flower-girl dares Come out to sell her fragile wares.

Her voice rings out a message sweet, As on she trips with lightsome feet, To buy her musk and jessamine, Her violets and white eglantine.

And the fresh perfumes of her flowers, After last night's refres.h.i.+ng showers, Borne on the gentle breeze soon find An entrance through my lattice blind.

The windows of the rich and great Are opened wide, and heads, ornate With glossy hair and jewels bright, Are thrust forth in the evening light Of the setting sun, whose shadow falls On the straight lines of brick-built walls, By which men marked the time of day[28]

Ere clocks and watches came their way.

And many flowers of beauteous hue, Still sparkling with the morning dew, Are bought by ladies rich and fair, To deck their deep black l.u.s.trous hair.

[27] A modern poem composed by a successful student at a Government Examination.

[28] Formerly the time of day was roughly ascertained by such means.

_The Red-Flower Pear-Tree_

BY EO YANG SIU

SONG DYNASTY

Posted to a distant mountain region, The old Lang-Kwan,[29] grown grey in honest work, Oft wandered through the valleys rough and dreary In search of treasures which might therein lurk.

One day, growing in a sheltered corner, He found a red-flowered pear-tree in full bloom, And before it stood transfixed with wonder, As when a dazzling brightness s.h.i.+nes through gloom.

Wondering how so fair a plant could flourish Away from genial clime and native earth, Circled by a thousand mist-clad mountains, And far from fragrant trees of kindred birth.

High its beauty-laden branches rising Above the gaudy brambles trailing there, Standing lonely in its perfect grandeur, With none, alas! to view the picture rare.

Save the vernal breeze which strips its blossoms And blows them open, year by year, again; Or the feathered tribes of mountain ranges In search of shelter from the mist or rain.

Showing it has braved the storms for ages, Its roots are curved and knotted with the fight; Yet the Lang-Kwan is the first of mankind To look with pleasure on so fair a sight.

Drinking in the wealth of dewy fragrance, He walked around the tree for many hours, But held by reverential love and wonder, He durst not raise a hand to pluck the flowers.

To himself the old man murmured gently, I wish I could remove the tree from here To grace the garden of the King's demesne, And find a royal consort for its peer.

Such a task, alas! would be much harder Than the long and toilsome journey of Chang-K'an,[30]

When he brought the beautiful pomegranate From Western regions to the Land of Han.

[29] A District Magistrate in ancient times.

[30] Chang-K'an, or Chang-K'ien, a Minister of the Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. In this poem it is said that he brought the pomegranate to China, but other writers say the grape-vine.

_A Song of Princess Tze-Yuh_[31]

BY HAN-CHONG

(ANCIENT)

As Southern birds avoid a Northern snare, My kin avoid alliances with thine; And though my love for thee would greatly dare, I know our clans the marriage would decline.

I would have followed thee, but evil talk Besmirched our names and sent us far apart; But why the world its love of slander balk?

'Tis evil fate that has despoiled my heart!

I wept for thee and mourned for three long years, As mourns the phoenix when her consort's dead; And then death came and ended grief and tears; For after thee no other could I wed.

And now you stand before my grave and grieve, My wraith's permitted for a moment's s.p.a.ce, The confines of the Spirit land to leave And visit earth to see thee face to face.

And, oh believe, though quick we part once more, And in the body cannot meet and love, Our souls are one till life and time are o'er, And we united in the realms above.

[31] Tze-Yuh, daughter of Fu-Chai, Prince of the Wu State, and Han-Chong loved each other and wished to marry, but political feuds prevented their union. Thereupon Han-Chong travelled abroad, and Tze-Yuh, after three years of fruitless mourning, died of grief. When Han-Chong returned and visited Tze-Yuh's grave to mourn there, he had a vision of her beautiful face, which inspired him to compose this song.

_Distaste for Official Life_

BY TAO TSIEN

T'SIN DYNASTY

For thirty years I read, and mused, and wrote, Or idly angled from my fis.h.i.+ng-boat; Or wandered through the woods, or climbed the hills, Listening to songsters and to murmuring rills;

Or sauntering in my garden talked with flowers, As friend with friend, for many happy hours; Or working in my fields ablaze with golden grain, And herbs and fruits which keep life clean and sane.

Far from the busy mart and huckstering crowd, Striving for gold or place with brawlings loud,-- From youth to middle age I've pa.s.sed my days Midst flowers and fields hearing what Nature says.

And now, alas! I'm on this boat and bound For far King-chow, with rank and office crowned; To village home and friends I've bid farewell, And of life's peace, I fear, I've tolled the knell.

From off the sh.o.r.e a pleasant breeze now blows, And on and on the placid river flows; While the pale s.h.i.+ning of the Queen of Night Floods the great universe with silvery light.