Larry's Pretty Good Poetry Journal

So remember that first Chinese translation I posted a couple months ago, by Wang Wei? It was originally written as part of a collaborative project with his friend, Pei Di, describing twenty scenes from Wang’s country estate. I was curious about the project and have been working through it slowly, and so came back around to this one. Here’s a revised version (partly because better understanding, partly to make the verbal echoes actually echo) with Pei’s response (indented).

Deer Enclosure

Empty mountain—I don’t see anyone,
But hear the sound of someone’s voice.
Late light’s within the deep forest,
Reflected up from the green moss.

    I see at sunset the cold mountain—
    It’s easy to be a lone guest leaving.
    I don’t know what’s in the deep forest,
    But here’s the hoof-prints of a roebuck.

鹿柴

空山不见人，
但闻人语响。
返景入深林，
复照青苔上。

    日夕见寒山，
    便为独往客。
    不知深林事，
    但有麏麚迹。

Yes, Pei responds in the persona of the person heard but not seen, to which I say "Hee~~~!"

(I'll more about the collection this anon. But I couldn't resist this.)

---L.