One Thought, a Mortal Life · Stubborn and Foolish by Nature · 02 / 102
· The Month's Beginning
A thousand days a traveler in the rain; jade water rinses the blue hills. Violet clouds weave the wind and the moon; writing as I go, I walk the world of men. With you, the carry far; on the , heaven's hidden workings turn; for now I tease the . Down and out, I steel a lone courage; I draw my sword, and the shake.
By grace of white snow filling the sheer ravines, I lodge at Langhuan. The great flies ten thousand li, and still arrogance is beaten into silence. In the common world, banked clouds, then a clear calm; a fledgling swallow over the dark sea is a rare sight; taking command, I point to the crags. Unbridled, I pore over the classics till my hair is white; let tales of gods and monsters go where they will.
Glossary—
Langhuan [láng huán]: in Han Chinese legend, the place where the Emperor of Heaven keeps his books;
Banked clouds, tun [tún]: massed cloud-vapor;
Qīngyàn: clear and bright, calm and unclouded;
Chanyan [chán yán]: high and dangerous rock; describing steep precipices and towering stone;
Qióngjīng: to study the classics with all one's strength;
Hào: white-headed, old age.
*This is an original work. If you reproduce it, please credit the original author Shixi Lin; any infringement, once discovered, will be pursued for legal liability. In addition, the accompanying image comes from the internet and belongs to the original illustrator Yichui Wuyue.