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.