Kenneth Morris

It originally appeared in the Dutch magazine, Het Theosophisch Pad, for September/October 1933.

Night on the Lake After Chang Ch’ien Sunset bright in the west, and the lake agleam; Dark my sails their rippled reflexion throw; Woods and mountains one vast mystery seem Now that the jade-bright cloud pagodas glow, And as purple petals fallen on the wat…

Dawn at the Mountain Monastery After Chang Ch’ien Morning, clear as a diamond, steals into the Halls of Zen; Over the tilted eaves dawn-sweet the larch-tops glow; Glow the tops of the beeches, dawn-cool, dawn-golden; —and then, From the midst of the trees…

Li Po Addresses Meng Hao-Jan In ruddy youth you put aside The gauds men set their dreams upon, And let who would aspire to ride In high official cars, or don Official head-dress ; quite foregone, With you, was all such vain desire; You set your hope and h…

The Foam-White Stream After Li Po I came at dawn to the source of the Foam-White Stream, And there on the breast of the lonely mountain lay Watching a thousand beautiful islands gleam In their green and gold, and the blue of eternal dream On the world-wide

Li Po Addresses Meng Hao-Jan In ruddy youth you put aside The gauds men set their dreams upon, And let who would aspire to ride In high official cars, or don Official head-dress ; quite foregone, With you, was all such vain desire; You set your hope and h…

Kenneth Morris occasionally made beautiful illuminated manuscripts of his poems.

Wang Wei Praises the River Wings-of-a-Kingfisher I never go down the Yellow-Chrysanthemum River But rocked in my boat on Wings-of-a-Kingfisher Stream That winds between silent and people-less peaks forever Mirroring cloud-high bluffs where the pine-woods…

Lament of the Ladies of the Siang River After Yuen I-Shan Sweet-scented are the Kiu-e Mountains, where the white bright spring clouds fly Over the blooms of roses and orchids that the south wind bloweth by Shaking down the gentle petals, the bloom dust, t…

The Moon and the Mountains Yu Liang Shih Spring and these mountains grow so dear I cannot leave them here alone.

The Buddha-Tower After Ts’en Ts’an I climb thy High Pagoda: clear And clearer round me glows the sky.

Kenneth Morris did not call his versions of Chinese poems translations, but, rather, recensions--a kind of revision of a historical text, based on critical study of the original.

Tsu Yung Awakes to See Snow on Mountain Chungnan How dazzling in the dawn-light glow The snows on Mountain Chungnan, Now the White Sun’s kindling up The peaks amidst the sky!

Flute-Willow-Bloom Night After Li Po Who’s fluting Spring out there in the moon-bright gloom?

The Rose-Cave on Tung Shan After Li Po By the Cave on the Mountain how oft have the roses blown, How oft have the silver clouds o’er the lonely mountain flown, And no one known, Since I came to the Cave on Tung Shan, years ago?

Night-Fall by the River After Li Po Heaven and my coat rose petal-strewn; Wine-flushed the solemn evening air,— Beauty that hides from thought how soon Life and time and the world forth-fare!

The Lily-Pads (After Li Po) Cold ’neath the moon the dark glass-green Water runs whitening o’er, as though A million silvery fins below Cut twinkling up through the quivering sheen The aloofness of grim skies leans o’er.

The Cold Clear Spring From the Chinese of Li Po (A.D. 702-762) Blue night o’er the mountain wilds—but there’s company here, For the Cold Clear Spring is quietly chattering so: A ripple and twitter of tune that I ought to know Is caught or wrought in the r…

Bamboo-and-orange Poem After Li Po Whilst I sit by my window here A breeze all sweet with orange-bloom, Blowing by me, fills the room, And I hear orange-venders near Crying their wares, and see the glow Of gold globed fruit on the trees below; And take my…

Li Po Visits a Fallen Terrace on the Yangste Kiang Wild-grown willows hide away The fallen terrace where, of old, So many guests came, night and day, With lutany and laughter gay, Or hushed, to watch the rise of the Moon.

Li Po’s Song of Parrot Island On the green island in the river, when he saw the parrots fly Thither, desiring its grasses, o’er the river waters of Wu, And rise from its gem-green trees again, to wing through the sky Westward to where the Dragon Mountain…

At the Hermitage After Li Po A thousand precipices high Thrust their green heads far up the sky All round.

[This is second (and last) part of an essay published in The Theosophical Path in August 1917.

[The Theosophical Path in August 1917.

The Deserted Garden (From the Chinese of Ku Chih) A crow or a couple of crows Lazily crossing the sky— None else now comes by.