THE CITY after HEINE

THE CITY

after the German of Heinrich Heine

There on the far horizon

Like a mist-made picture seems

The city with its towers,

All veiled in dusk-pale gleams.

A humid wind gust ruffles

The waterway's grey face;

The oarsman in my craft

Now rows with sorrow's pace.

The sun lifts out for one last time,

Lights land from low-above,

And shows that place to me

Where I have lost my love.

CHINESE POEM

CHINESE POEM

"But who so wise as to embark in search of Lan Li,

Solitary in the mist and water of the Five Lakes,

forgetful of the world?"

- WEN T'ING-YUN, At the Ferry South of Lin-chou.

The early morning view's revealed

like silken Chinese painting now-

its hues subdued,

sky misted by light cloud,

lake water tranquil,

and scarcely touched by a moving detail:

a fishing boat or ferry faraway.

All trees are still,

each difference of green

brings gentle contrasts, subtly outlining

the forms of foliage upon the island;

while further away

the plateau's low hills

are blue-grayed

to lighter tones.

An occasional

black water-bird's wings

are silhouetted by the flash

and sparkle of bright ripples.

And strange to read, just now,

a poem from past time,

and glance up, seeing its serenity-

nature's early morning

Chinese calm.