I blame myself

The fault is mine The fault is mine, I drank, I’m drunk, and now I’m in this sorry state. Albert Einstein famously said, “Doing the same thing, expecting a different result is the very definition of insanity.” And drinking too much leads to a familiar crazy result. Last night I drank too much with friends….

Send Meng this Gift

Mysterious moon in the sky. Some nights, so close, it seems, one can touch it. And even when it is far, far away, good friends can always share it. 赠孟浩然 吾爱孟夫子， 风流天下闻红颜弃轩冕， 白首卧松云醉月频中圣， 迷花不事君高山安可仰, 徒此挹清芬 赠孟浩然, 李 白 A Gift to Meng HaoranMaster Meng, my love. Beloved the world over.Your rosy cheeks replace your courtly crownYour…

In a Bamboo Grove, 竹裏館

Sitting alone, somewhere in a bamboo grovePlucking on a zither, whistling alongDeep in the forest, where I can’t be foundAt least, not until the bright moon shines I Want to be Alone We’re social critters who need to be strongly connected with other people. But, as every poet knows, solitude can be just as important….

Drinking Alone under the Moon

Li Bai‘s oft repeated poem inspires much thought. Were I to accompany Li Bai under the moon and the Milky Way, these would be mine to share — Alone we enter the world, alone we leave, and in the middle we have the chance to share a drink and dance. There were three there then,…

Mooring on the River at Jiande

A rocking boat moored on a misty bankThe parting day brings new worriesIn the distance the heavens droop behind the treesThe moon is a close friend on Blue River Sù jiàn déjiāng Yí zhōu bó yān zhǔRì mù kè chóu xīn Yě kuàng tiān dī shù Jiāngqīng yuè jìn rén 宿建德江 栘舟泊烟渚日暮客愁新野旷天低树 江清月近人 Stay Overnight…

At Wang Changling’s Retreat – Chang Jian

Here, beside a lake clear and deepYou live amidst clouds Where softly through pine trees, the moon arrives To become your pure-hearted friend. Shaded by flowery blossoms underneath a thatch roof hut you rest Calmed by herbs that flourish in their bed of moss Let me thank you for the time On Xishan mountain with…

Thought on a Starry Night

I thought, for fun, mixing up posts with videos. If you have a preference or a thought, please comment.

Resentment, Yuàn Qíng – Li Bai

  A beauty unfurls a beaded curtain Deeply seated, eyes furrowed I see the tracks of her tears But I can’t see who she hates The Tracks of My Tears Linda Ronstadt recorded the Tracks of My Tears, a song written by Smokey Robinson in 1965. Smokey Robinson and The Miracles recorded it first, but…

Bamboo House – Wang Wei

Updated version February 2021 Sitting alone in a bamboo grovePlucking a zither, whistling alongDeep in the forest, in a spot unknownWaiting for a bright moon to come Or, Sitting alone in a bamboo grovePlucking a zither, repeating this song:Deep in the forest, in a spot hard to findA full moon is coming to shine Inside…

Note to Self

Note to Self Looking at my wine, I did not catch sight of the dark night coming Or the flowers falling down on my gown Tipsy, in the moonlight I walk along the stream The birds have yet to come and few are the people Note to self Li Bai’s (李白) poem 自遣 is usually…