Hi Gary I am realy intested in translation of aincent verse and I think what 
makes it special  is how timeless really good writing is. Making an attempt 
to translate can be surprising like you say as old values still apply today 
despite differance in cultures and language. Bw Sally J

>From: Gary Blankenship <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: A River Transformed XIX:
>Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2004 08:41:21 -0800
>
>A River Transformed XIX:
>
>After Wang Wei's Stream of Powdered Gold (14)
>
>
>
>Found among Yellow Weeds
>
>
>
>Long tables crowded with dog-eared volumes,
>
>sheet music and posters of forgotten cities -
>
>a sidewalk sale on a crowded side street,
>
>paper sold by the pound or plastic bag,
>
>amidst the debris and discarded tomes
>
>once treasured by schoolboys and scholars,
>
>a well-read volume of translated verse.
>
>
>
>Armed with bad eyes and strong coffee, I seek
>
>to grasp words written in a language I
>
>can't read from a culture I don't comprehend.
>
>You sip tea as you laugh at the surprises
>
>in a bag of books purchased for a dollar.
>
>
>
>A hawk dries its wings in the morning sun,
>
>pigeons gossip with the library lions.
>
>
>
>*
>
>
>
>I am not home and do not have a good translation with me.  I forgot to pack 
>them.  I have a very poor version which came with a cd of music set to the 
>poems.  I will attempt to retranslate:
>
>
>
>Drink from the Stream of Powdered Gold
>
>and live one thousand days or more.
>
>Be presented to the Jade Emperor
>
>on a cart drawn by phoenix and young dragons.
>
>
>
>The Jade Emperor is Yu Huang, Taoist Supreme Lord of the Physical and the 
>world's savior.
>
>
>
>Clearly, some of the classical poems mean less to us in the West.  This and 
>the last, Pepper Tree Garden (#20) reference Chinese mythology of little or 
>no relevance to us in the 21st century.
>
>
>
>
>
>**For the Fall issue** go to  
>http://www.mindfirerenew.com/<http://www.mindfirerenew.com/>  for THE BEST 
>NEW ZINE ON THE WEB and to 
>http://www.mindfirerenew.com/fireweednov/1104-front.html<http://www.mindfirerenew.com/fireweednov/1104-front.html> 
>for our new issue of monthly mini-zine.  Poets for Peace.... ˇPoemas sí, 
>balas no!

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