Chinese poem

[wongkk]

I was intending to make a post about Advent Calendars but a kind Chinese friend visiting for New Year has given me a book of Tang Dynasty poetry and I can't resist showing one or two.

So, here, for brotherskeeper1 whose regular posts of classic Asian poetry I enjoy and for puddleshark whose wonderful horse pictures I also enjoy, is a piece written by an 8thC traveller in

Comments

[brotherskeeper1]

That is a wonderful poem! Thank you so much for sharing it :)

The horse photo fits perfectly! And the water does look cold *brrr*

[wongkk]

That's very apt icon!

You're very welcome to the poem. You find so many, BK, that this is a poor return for all your gems.

The horse photo was taken at sunset but the whole day was cold. I had been to the beach with my mother and we looked like eskimo in our fleeces and hats! And it was August last year!

[brotherskeeper1]

I am glad you like the horse Yupik :) I had to do a lot of work on the Yupik before I could post it. It was well over 40K.

As long as someone comments to my posts, I will continue posting the Poems.

The weather is on just now. This is going to be a bad storm, not because of the snow, but the winds which will make it blow and drift. Plus temperatures are going to be scary!

[wongkk]

I've tinkered with the photo as there were too many horses in the original and too much modern clutter (buildings) and not enough evening in the colouring (though it was evening).

This is the original:

[csg_dear4life]

Your photo fits the lovely poem perfectly.

[wongkk]

Hello! Thanks - I'm stuck on the other poem (about a lone fisherman in the snow) as I don't have a photo of my own to use!

I'm glad you like the poem - I'm always a bit nervous about posting poetry as I know that lots of my f-list aren't so interested. Happy New Year, by the way. I hope that your wrists will be strong and healthy in 2014 and that Sandie and her ears keep out of mischief ;=)

[shyone05]

If you didn't say the photo was yours, I would have thought the whole thing was a page from a book. Lovely poem, & lovely pic, too. Thanks for sharing :)

[wongkk]

Hello! I'm pleased that you like the poem; I'm always amazed at how MODERN the thoughts in this ancient poems are! It find it hard to remember that the writer died more than 1200 years ago. Wow.

The photo is certainly mine - here is the whole thing so that you can see how the colours have been changed (to a more sunset-y look) and how many more horses there were!

[ditch_gospel]

The lovely poem sounds lonely and chilly and makes me appreciate my warm cup of tea. I agree with the others that the photo fits the poem perfectly!

[wongkk]

Sorry - I missed this comment. Yes, I think the Chinese administrator (some sort of travelling official) would have liked a warm cup of tea too!

I was pleased to find this poem. Like you, I rather enjoy dark and bleak writing :=)