Mountain-stones
- Poetry of Han Yu

山石荦确行径微，黄昏到寺蝙蝠飞。

升堂坐阶新雨足，芭蕉叶大栀子肥。

僧言古壁佛画好，以火来照所见稀。

铺床拂席置羹饭，疏粝亦足饱我饥。

夜深静卧百虫绝，清月出岭光入扉。

天明独去无道路，出入高下穷烟霏。

山红涧碧纷烂漫，时见松枥皆十围。

当流赤足踏涧石，水声激激风吹衣。

人生如此自可乐，岂必局束为人鞿。

嗟哉吾党二三子，安得至老不更归。

Rough were the mountain-stones, and the path very narrow;

And when I reached the temple, bats were in the dusk.

I climbed to the hall, sat on the steps, and drank the rain- washed air

Among the round gardenia-pods and huge bananaleaves.

On the old wall, said the priest, were Buddhas finely painted,

And he brought a light and showed me, and I called them wonderful

He spread the bed, dusted the mats, and made my supper ready,

And, though the food was coarse, it satisfied my hunger.

At midnight, while I lay there not hearing even an insect,

The mountain moon with her pure light entered my door....

At dawn I left the mountain and, alone, lost my way:

In and out, up and down, while a heavy mist

Made brook and mountain green and purple, brightening everything.

I am passing sometimes pines and oaks, which ten men could not girdle,

I am treading pebbles barefoot in swift-running water --

Its ripples purify my ear, while a soft wind blows my garments....

These are the things which, in themselves, make life happy.

Why should we be hemmed about and hampered with people?

O chosen pupils, far behind me in my own country,

What if I spent my old age here and never went back home?