August 2023
Author's Note: These are not translations, exactly, but me trying to say in English what I think the poets were trying to say in Chinese. I don't read Chinese except for a few characters (mountain, sun, moon, day, etc.), but I've been able to triangulate my versions using four or five previous translations. It's good practice for me, trying to get someone else's words right in our language.
After Mei Yaochen's
"A Rural Home"
Roosters crow.
The sky is
brightening.
Farmers take
their morning
rice and tea
and go out
to plowing.
I open
my window
and to watch
the last of the stars
disappearing.
After Tu Mu's
"Drunken Sleep"
Well-made wine
and autumn rain.
A cold house
among the leaves.
The lonely man
will sleep a lot,
but first he pours
another cup.
©2023 Tom Montag
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