of its golden contents
And its purple indicating on decease
And unquestioning obedience to fate.
And the pendent moon’s disc shines over it,
Its perfectly round brow seems maize yellow
With reflections, but when the setting sun
Touches it with the evening glow,
It still laughs, and does it cheerfully,
With great enjoyment from within.
When an early mountain breeze brushes thru
The willows and sends its trembling leaves,
Dancing gaily, to the very ground,
You don’t even get your poor head around
Whether the song of the falling leaves
Is the song of laughter or of the farewell tears
At the very moment of departure. From of old
This song is merely known by the name of
“The Charm of Early Autumn” and it sings
About the spirit of calmness, material ripeness
And a subtle wisdom of reaping a harvest;
And it smiles at sadness itself and praises
The coming day of exhilarating environment.
47
I'd Want
I'd want at least a pair of clean shirts,
As usual, with seven buttons, to start
And finish my week safe and sound;
But if can have only one shirt, I shall
Not mind, either. Unlike anyone else
I want also a good show, and I would
Give myself up to the full enjoyment.
But if I must go without that, I shall
Not be too sorry. I'd want some lofty
And shady trees in my surroundings,
But if I cannot have them, a sapling
In my yard will give me the same fun.
I'd want many kids and a housewife
Who personally prepares delicacies,
And if I'm wealthy, then a good cook,
And a pretty housemaid in gauzy dress
To tend the incense while I'm writing
Or painting in my study. Yes, I'd want
Some intimate friends and a woman
Who understands, ideally to be found
In the person of my spouse; if not, then
Maybe in one of the sing-opera divas.
If I'm not born with 'a voluptuous luck,'
Then I shall not be much worry, either.
I'd want a filled belly -- rice and pickles
Are not so costly in my region; I'd want
A jug of good wine, but the moonshine
Is often home-brewed, or I can pay only
A limited cash for a bottle at a wineshop.
I'd want leisure, and leisure I can have,
And I'm as happy as a bird if I have met
An old monk in a bamboo-covered grove
To talk to him of Dharma and enjoyed
Another of life's leisurely half-days. . .
I'd want a secluded hut, if I can't have
An entire pleasure garden sited amidst
Deep mountains with the coolest spring
Running past my hut, or in a lower vale
Where before sunset I can saunter along
The river bank and observe cormorants
Catching fish for their master-fisherman.
But if I can't have that luck and must live
In the dusty city, I'll not be sorry, either.
For I'd have, in any case, a cage bird and
A few potted herbs and the moon's disc
Shined in my tub, for I can always have
The sole lamp of my utter enlightenment --
A strong resolve to get the best out of life,
A desire to enjoy what I've got at hand
And no repentance if I fail in the end
To start over from scratch. . . So be it.
48
A Song of Release
Tonight we are going to meditate
A full moon dazzled on the ripple
Getting a painted houseboat and
Bringing along a few musicians
Raise a cup or two of them in a toast
To our long collaboration, sir?
Would you be so much kind
As to come and spend a night with me
At this summer solstice? Then
I'm going to have a recluse's gown,
And when my resignation
Will kindly be accepted, I'll be a sole
And carefree son of the mountains
Who spends the rest of his lifetime
Released and at ease. . .
To turn the other cheek no more!
49
The Lamp
Idling away my time, I seek
For the venerable master
Who lives amidst the misty peaks,
A hundred of tiers upon tiers.
The hermit points me out the way
To return to myself;
This moonlit night --
A single lantern of enlightenment.
50
At Home
In this life, what matter
Is the most pitiable from all?
It's nothing but the three paths
That create a whole raft of faults.
Putting learning aside, in a mist
At the foot of the cliff I reside;
One single piece of ragged robe --
This is the whole my stuff.
Once the autumn comes,
Let it drop leaves in the thick woods;
Then the springtime arrives,
As you wish, to bloom up the trees.
All the three realms I lay across to sleep,
At leisure and carefree;
The bright moon's disc and soft breeze --
This is my home indeed!
51
My Mind
The myriad stars spread out
In the heavenly darkness --
The night is deep and serene;
The jagged cliffs are outlined
By a solitary lamp --
The moon's disc has not yet sunk.
Round and full, brilliant
And blazing -- no need to polish
This priceless pearl which
Hangs down in the black-blue sky
And which is truly my mind.
52
In the Middle
On the top of the age-old boulder
The ancients left their footprints;
On the front of the bottomless pit
Gapes a round spot of black hollow.
When the wheel of moon shines,
It becomes clean and bright --
No need to seek anyone to ask
Where's the west and where the east.
53
Wild Nature
I do enjoy my daily living amid the mist,
Vanes, stones, streams, caves and cliffs.
My wild nature finds a use in the wilderness;
My constant companion is a white rack of cloud.
There're some roads, but they don't put me thru
To climb down to the world; I have got
My no-minded-mind -- who can climb up
To this level of mine? On my stone bed
Alone I sit deep into the night while
The moon's disc slides up toward the dawn.
54
Above the World
Standing alone, I view the world
From the top of the jagged cliffs --
I tower above a mass of raging waves.
Flapping in the wind, the pines trees
Rhyme me in accord; the moon's disc rises,
The sea tides roll in a monotone beat.
But what is under the surface --
Morays and dragons, a myriad of species,
Taking turns, they gobble up each other,
Lumping together in one gross of water-floaters.
Below I look over the edge of bottomless aby
ss;
To white clouds I confide my internal thoughts.
My wild nature fits these rocky cliffs and the sea;
My will is to be ever matched with the elements.
55
The Moon's Nature
Since your mind is not yet
Completely exhausted,
False thoughts still arise
Like smoke on the water.
The moon's nature
Is to be clear and bright;
Far and wide, it is shining
With no boundaries, at all.
56
The Crane Song
I take delight in my staying
In the deep mountains;
I wander about at leisure,
Relying on none for support.
Day after day I clean and purify
My decrepit body's channels
And think my idle thoughts --
Here's nothing else I have to do.
At times I unroll some
Of my age-old scriptures,
And frequently climb up
To my stone altar on top.
From there I look down
Over a thousand feet high cliff;
Above me -- the Celestial Lake
Set up beyond the milky clouds.
Cold moon is so crispy bright!
My airy body is like that of
A lonely flying crane which
Hovers over my soul in circles.
57
Happiness
My wild life is so precious to me!
All seven wonders of the world --
How can they be compared to it?
The moon's disc faces thru the pines --
Crisp and chilly its brightness.
White and rosy clouds --
Tier upon tier they arise.
Walking around, I surmount
A few piles of mountains;
Making the trip back, I cover
A certain number of miles.
Nearby the mountain stream
I feel myself quiet and refined;
My joyful tarrying in this place
Knows no end. Sh! In a quiet way
I announce my everlasting happiness.
58
Man's True Nature
My primary will
Is to be ever matched
With the way of naturalness;
As being a spontaneous man,
One obtains one's true self.
At times I run into those who
Shut up the source of knowledge;
Quite often I have those with whom
I can freely talk of Contemplation (Chan).
Chatting of the profound values
All the moonlit night long,
We all agreed thereon,
Just before sunrise.
When the myriad controversies
Vanish into the morning air
Without a trace, you realise
The original nature of Man.
59
The Lunar Hub
In front of the cliff all alone
I quietly sit -- the moon's disc
Illumines the night surroundings.
The myriads of shapes sink
Into the gray of half-shades,
Leaving absolutely nothing
The full moon couldn't light up.
Unbounded and straight,
My spirit refines itself keenly;
Hugging the hollow,
I cave myself into Profound.
Following the pointing out finger
I see the bright wheel of moon --
It is the moon wheel's hub
Which is the pivot of my mind.
60
The Moonlit Mind
Higher and higher I climb
On the top of the peak;
In all the four directions
No confines I can see.
I sit alone; there is no one
Who could know me;
The orphaned moon
Reflects in the cold spring.
But in the spring, in truth,
It is not the moon --
The moon sets itself
In the black-blue skies.
Though I have sung away
One single song of mine,
What's at the end of it
Is not the essence of Chan.
There are the rosy clouds
Flocked around this peak:
Still and quiet, they're cut off
From the worldly dust and dirt.
A seat of straw --
That's all what I have
At my mountain home;
My sole lamp is the moon's wheel.
I set my stone bed by side
Of the emerald pond;
Tigers, boars and deer
Are my companions at watering.
I truly admire the joy
Of this secluded spot
To be a man who stays away
From all occurrences for long.
61
Rock-Steady in the End
Amid the many-tier cliffs
A breeze walks back and forth.
My fire-fan is unmoved --
The cold comes up on its own.
The bright moon's disc shines;
White clouds cage my body in.
Sitting alone by myself,
I am already an old man.
* * * * *
About the Author
Alexander Goldstein, a graduate of the Far-Eastern University in Sinology, lived and worked in mainland China for a period as a translator/interpreter, a manager, and a martial arts' practitioner. A certified instructor of 'Chang-quan' (external-style boxing) and 'Taiji-quan' (internal-style boxing), he is a lecturer of Chinese culture and traditions at the Open University in Tel-Aviv. He also is the constructionist of Lao-zi's "Dao-De Jing," the commentator of "Zen (Chan) Masters' Paradoxes," "The Illustrated Canon of Chen Family Taiji-quan," a Chinese novel and some other editions, which are available in print and electronic publishing at most online retailers published in English, Spanish and Russian. What makes his books so appealing is profound analysis and authority, with which various strains of the vigorous Chinese culture are woven into a clear and useful piece of guidance for a business person who conducts the affairs with far-eastern counterparties and for a counsellor who develops strategies that enable leaders to position their organisations in the Asia-Pacific region effectively.
ENDNOTE
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