Clearing at Dawn

Another favorite poet is Li Po (Li Bai or Li T'ai Po), an ancient Chinese poet circa 701-762 A.D. included in a group of Chinese scholars called the "Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup" by his contemporary Tu Fu (or Du Fu).

His bohemian lifestyle and interest in alchemy and religion (Taoism) reminds me of my own father, but his musings and imagery taught me a lot about poetry during my early years. I gathered young Li Po wandered the countrysides as a commoner "occasionally seeking official employment but not through the examinations." He initially frowned upon poets being in the royal court but later succumbed to its allure and became one (thus this tribute). Later resuming his wanderings, he got ensnared with the power struggles common in the era and was banished, but eventually pardoned. For more information, try this Wikipedia link.

He is probably best known for "Drinking Alone by Moonlight" (pinyin: Yuè Xià Dú Zhuó) as translated by Arthur Waley (which I will post later) but my favorite is this:

Clearing at Dawn

Li T'ai Po

translated by Waley

The fields are chill, the sparse rain has stopped;
The colours of Spring teem on every side.
With leaping fish the blue pond is full;
With singing thrushes the green boughs droop.
The flowers of the field have dabbled their powdered cheeks;
The mountain grasses are bent level at the waist.
By the bamboo stream the last fragment of cloud
Blown by the wind slowly scatters away.