The Moon in the River
translated from Chou Meng Tieh’s 13 White Chrysanthemums
In serenity
I walked along the river Ganges
The moon in the stream walked along
by my side. I become the shadow of stream
and the moon becomes that of mine.
We flow with the splash of stream
and twinkle with dance of shadow
We drift in the endless stream
and the nothingness spinning
Is the moon still moon
in the sky or in the stream?
in the river, or in our dream?
Into the waters the moon dives
Under the moons river lies
Which moon is you, and which
is I?
If River, Moon and I
come from the distant void, the no-
where. Then from where does
the nowhere approach?
The moon shines, the river runs, and I walk
None of us control.
Sail with eyes, paddle with feet, I wish
to go against the current
have the moon on my back
to go where the first dust
has yet been born.
