One of my top 3 favorite classical Chinese poets, Wang Wei lived in the Tang Dynasty, 8th century (701–761). He is sometimes referred to as the “Poet Buddha”.
Born to the upper class, from along line of bureaucrats, he passed the civil service entrance examination in 721 and had a successful civil service career, rising to become Chancellor in 758. During the An Lushan Rebellion he avoided actively serving the insurgents during the capital’s occupation by pretending to be deaf.
He spent ten years studying with Chán master Daoguang. After his wife’s death in 730, he did not remarry and established a monastery on part of his estate.
He was also an accomplished artist and his original work was often published along with his paintings related to the poetry. Few if any of these illustrations has survived. A few of his poems are rendered below.
Study
| Light cloud pavilion light rain Dark yard day weary open Sit look green moss colour About to on person clothes come |
There’s light cloud, and drizzle round the pavilion, In the dark yard, I wearily open a gate. I sit and look at the colour of green moss, Ready for people’s clothing to pick up. |
Farewell
| Down horse drink gentleman alcohol Ask gentleman what place go Gentleman say not achieve wish Return lie south mountain near Still go nothing more ask White cloud not exhaust time |
Dismounting, I offer my friend a cup of wine, I ask what place he is headed to. He says he has not achieved his aims, Is retiring to the southern hills. Now go, and ask me nothing more, White clouds will drift on for all time. |
(The above poem is special to me- I used to practice drawing Chinese characters writing the poems of Wang Wei. This particular poem I spent a week on the Oregon Coast in October writing and re-writing on leaves I had found. When I was finally satisfied, I put it in a frame and gave it to a friend who was going to another city to live. I didn’t know if I would ever see him again. Fifteen years later he came to visit. He still had the poem in the frame I gave him.)
Replying to Subprefect Zhang
| Old age think good quiet Everything not concern heart Self attend without great plan Empty know return old forest Pine wind blow undo belt Hill moon light pluck qin Gentleman ask end open reason Fisherman song enter riverbank deep |
Now in old age, I know the value of silence, The world’s affairs no longer stir my heart. Turning to myself, I have no greater plan, All I can do is return to the forest of old. Wind from the pine trees blows my sash undone, The moon shines through the hills; I pluck the qin. You ask me why the world must rise and fall, Fishermen sing on the steep banks of the river. |
Returning to Songshan Mountain
| Clear river belt long thin Cart horse go idle idle Flow water like have desire Dusk birds another with return Desolate town face old ferry Set sun whole autumn hills Far successively Song high down Return come for now close shut |
The limpid river runs between the bushes, The horse and cart are moving idly on. The water flows as if with a mind of its own, At dusk, the birds return to perch together. The desolate town is faced by an ancient ferry, The setting sun now fills the autumn hills. And far below high Songshan’s tumbling ridges, Returning home, I close the door for now. |
Temple Tree Path
| Narrow path sunless temple locust tree Deep dark much green moss Should gate except meet sweep In case have hill monk come |
A narrow, sunless path to the temple tree, Deep and dark; abundant green moss. Wait by the gate when finished sweeping the yard, In case a monk should come down from the hill. |
moon soup 