Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Taking Down A Trellis


Taking Down A Trellis


the bound sticks already wither & fall;
the gourd’s leaves turn wilted & sparse—

since its white flowers managed to bear fruit
how can green vines not accept this dismantling—

autumn insects’ voices haven’t gone away;
sparrows at dusk: what can they be thinking—

in the cold, things now fall to waste;
human life also has its beginnings


based on Du Fu: 除架
chú jià




Image links to its source on Wiki Commons:
“Early Autumn”: Qian Wuan. 13th Century; ink & colors on paper scroll.
Public domain



 

1 comment:

  1. Amazing to read such an old account of an activity (neatly transplanted to English, btw) that has changed very little! Anyone who has taken down a piece of trellis will know exactly what he's on about! And it's not so long since I sat watching a flock of sparrows all sitting the rungs of a trellis, all keeping an eye out for any crumbs I might let fall.

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