Thursday, November 06, 2008
The Old Man of the Stream
Po Chü-i, Lodging with the Old Man of the Stream (tr. Arthur Waley):
Newer› ‹Older
Men's hearts love gold and jade;Related posts:
Men's mouths covet wine and flesh.
Not so the old man of the stream;
He drinks from his gourd and asks nothing more.
South of the stream he cuts firewood and grass;
North of the stream he has built wall and roof.
Yearly he sows a single acre of land;
In spring he drives two yellow calves.
In these things he finds great repose;
Beyond these he has no wish or care.
By chance I met him walking by the water-side;
He took me home and lodged me in his thatched hut.
When I parted from him, to seek market and Court,
This old man asked my rank and pay.
Doubting my tale, he laughed loud and long:
"Privy Councillors do not sleep in barns."
- More on Aglaus of Psophis
- Staying at Home
- Lottites
- There Was an Old Man from Verona
- To Be Happy At Home
- My Little Zoar
- Happy the Man
- Aglaus of Psophis
