mountain sounds carry a chill wisdom
by Shih ShuEnglish version by James H. Sanford
Original Language Chinese
mountain sounds carry a chill wisdom
an upwelling spring whispers subtle tales
pine breezes stir the fire beneath my tea
bamboo shadows soak deep into my robe
I grind my ink: clouds scraping across the crags
copy out a verse: birds settling on branches
as the world rolls right on by
its every turn tracing out non-action
 | -- from The Clouds Should Know Me By Now: Buddhist Poet Monks of China, Edited by Red Pine |
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/ Image by Maksym Harbar /
A serene moment today. This poem, to me, evokes a chill mountain solitude, a bit lonely, yet tranquil. You want to wrap a blanket around your shoulders, hold a hot cup of tea in your hands, and watch the world unfold around you.
The soughing sounds of the mountain speak to us--
mountain sounds carry a chill wisdom
an upwelling spring whispers subtle tales
The outside world reaches inside our circle--
pine breezes stir the fire beneath my tea
bamboo shadows soak deep into my robe
In return, our meditative work mimics the world we witness--
I grind my ink: clouds scraping across the crags
copy out a verse: birds settling on branches
And we disappear into the world, seeing how nature moves and shifts and yet remains entirely still--
as the world rolls right on by
its every turn tracing out non-action
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New book on the horizon
I wanted to let everyone know that the Poetry Chaikhana will be publishing a new book soon! It is titled The Awakened One: Buddha-Themed Haiku from Around the World, edited by Adjei Agyei-Baah and Gabriel Rosenstock. This is a lovely collection pairing classic Japanese haiku with contemporary haiku written by poets from all over the world -- from Nigeria, Croatia, India, Australia, Switzerland and Singapore, Brazil and Bulgaria. Haiku has become a worldwide art form.
This pocket-sized collection is a meditative dialog in haiku on questions of enlightenment, transience, nature, time and timelessness.
Keep an eye out for the book announcement in the next few weeks.
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| A Drifting Boat: Chinese Zen Poetry | Sunflower Splendor: Three Thousand Years of Chinese Poetry | The Clouds Should Know Me By Now: Buddhist Poet Monks of China | ||
