Classic and Contemporary Poetry
OLD POEM: 7, by ANONYMOUS First Line: A bright moon illumines the night-prospect Last Line: Is of no profit and idly bears the same Subject(s): China - Early Period (to 200 B.c.) | ||||||||
A BRIGHT moon illumines the night-prospect: The house-cricket chirrups on the eastern wall. The Handle of the Pole-star points to the Beginning of Winter. The host of stars is scattered over the sky. The white dew wets the moor-grasses, -- With sudden swiftness the times and seasons change. The autumn cicada sings among the trees, The swallows, alas, whither are they gone? Once I had a same-house friend, He took flight and rose high away. He did not remember how once we went hand in hand, But left me like footsteps behind one in the dust. In the South is the Winnowing-fan and the Pole-star in the North, And a Herd-boy whose ox has never borne the yoke. A friend who is not firm as a great rock Is of no profit and idly bears the name. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...YEARS VANISH LIKE THE MORNING DEW by MEI SHENG THE MAN-WIND AND THE WOMAN-WIND by SUNG YU BLAMING SONS (AN APOLOGY FOR HIS OWN DRUNKENNESS) by T'AO CH'IEN READING THE BOOK OF HILLS AND SEAS by T'AO CH'IEN RETURNING TO THE FIELDS by T'AO CH'IEN TIS A LITTLE JOURNEY by ANONYMOUS |
|