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Poetry

The Garnished Zither

By February 23, 2018No Comments

by M. Alexander Turner

translated from Li Shangyin (c. 813–858)

The garnished zither unending,
   its fifty strings.
One string for one peg:
   I think of handsome years.

The scholar Chuang lucidly dreamt
   of mystified butterflyhood.
The prestigious lord took his spring heart
   to form a cuckoo.

The deep sea, the moon luminous:
   a pearl with tears.
The indigo field, sun inviting:
   the jade uncurling smoke.

This bliss could wait
   for full recollect.
Still, this while
   has been burned forgotten.

 

 

M. Alexander Turner is a linguistics student at BYU. He likes writing poetry, translating Tang Dynasty verse, and practicing calligraphy.