The Grass
by Po Chu-i · in A Lute of Jade
Translated by L. Cranmer-Byng (1909) · From A Lute of Jade (1909)
How beautiful and fresh the grass returns!
When golden days decline, the meadow burns;
Yet autumn suns no hidden root have slain,
The spring winds blow, and there is grass again.
Green rioting on olden ways it falls:
The blue sky storms the ruined city walls;
Yet since Wang Sun departed long ago,
When the grass blooms both joy and fear I know.
This poem and this translation are in the public domain. Source text: Project Gutenberg.