Leave-Taking Near Shoku
Leave-Taking Near Shoku
Li Bai
"_Sanso, King of Shoku, built roads_"
They say the roads of Sanso are steep,
Sheer as the mountains.
The walls rise in a man's face,
Clouds grow out of the hill
at his horse's bridle.
Sweet trees are on the paved way of the Shin,
Their trunks burst through the paving,
And freshets are bursting their ice
in the midst of Shoku, a proud city.
Men's fates are already set,
There is no need of asking diviners.
Verse breaks and indentation are preserved. Wrapped lines have a hanging indent. Width adapts to your screen.
From Cathay (1915). Translation in the public domain. · Translated by Ezra Pound
