A quiet house, with scarcely a neighbor near;
A path through grasses to a garden left to sere.
Birds in the trees beside the pool are now at rest;
A monk knocks at the door, under the moon’s pale crest.
I cross the little bridge — the land’s wide hue I share;
I move a stone — the very roots of clouds stir there.
I go, but I shall come again. This be our vow,
Kept in the heart’s deep silence, as I leave you now.
闲居少邻并，草径入荒园。鸟宿池边树，僧敲月下门。
过桥分野色，移石动云根。暂去还来此，幽期不负言。
This poem was composed by the Tang Dynasty poet Jia Dao, likely during his period of hardship in Chang'an after returning to secular life. Jia Dao became a monk in his youth, taking the Dharma name "Wuben" (Without origin). Later, he returned to secular life encouraged by Han Yu, but his official career was fraught with difficulty, marked by repeated examination failures and a life of poverty. He harbored a deep longing for a life of secluded dwelling in mountains and forests, often expressing his admiration for a reclusive existence in his poetry.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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