第二十一章
TRANQUILITY
Mother, my mother
I once asked the wise bimo
I once asked the aged suni
When and where I could find tranquility
But neither of them could tell me
The one just shook his prayer bell forcefully
The one just beat his sheepskin drum crazily
Ah I wish to sleep, how I wish to sleep
Mother, my mama
I once sought the tranquility of lakes
I once sought tranquility in the sky
I once sought a mystical tranquility
I once sought phantasmal tranquility
After that I truly understood
In this world
There is not one tranquil place
Ah, I am weary, I am too weary
Mother, my mother
Hold me now in your warm embrace
As dark night approaches
Let me put yesterday抯 dreams behind me
Because in this world that blows hot and cold
For the sake of deep-seated love
Your son has written sorrowful verses
O, I have grown tired, so very tired
MESSAGE
What I long for
Was what you once longed for
I am but a symbol
In the immensity of the starlit sky
I count for less than a momentary beam of light
I merely seek a random chance
Amidst a greater randomness
Like a river of fantasy
Which flings laughter and tears
Onto every inch
Of illusory sands
I used to believe the earth was very large
In fact, that was my misconception
Shapes of the dead recede from us
O, sea of time, can you tell me
Where they have gone?
AUTUMN DAY
I miss you now in Venice
All this time you could not come to me
And will be unable to come