Another adaptation, which first appeared in April, 2014.
Peach Blossom (after Li Po)
Ask why I stay on the green mountain
and I smile but do not answer; my heart rests.
A peach blossom floats downstream –
Heaven and earth, apart from this world.
The transliteration on Chinese-poems.com is as follows:
Ask me what reason stay green mountain
Smile but not answer heart self idle
Peach blossom flow water far go
Apart have heaven earth in human world
There the poem is titled “Question and Answer on the Mountain.”
O at the Edges 
A beautiful poem. 🙂
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Thank you, Brenda. Li Po is of course responsible.
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Lovely, crystalline adaptation.
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Thanks very much, Chris.
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thanks I needed that
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You’re very welcome!
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insightful
interpretation 🙂
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You’re very kind. Thank you.
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You do these well.
I’ve been getting into haiku and tanka more,lately. I may try doing this, some time.
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These adaptations have made me even more aware of the possibilities of language. You should try it, Ken.
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Once again, my adaptation came out in concrete verse. It’s a message that spoke to me on a couple of different levels. Thanks! 🙂
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I always enjoy your adaptations, Christine. They’re so different, yet evoke the same feelings.
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And so I have my first:
https://rivrvlogr.wordpress.com/2016/09/19/an-evening-with-a-poet-in-texas/
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I love it, Ken, and am quite flattered. Thank you.
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Thank you, Robert!
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You’re welcome, Randy.
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Nice work!
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Thanks, Daniel. I enjoy working on these.
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Beautifully done Bob 😊
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Thanks, Mek. They’re always fun to work on.
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You’re welcome. 😊 do you think after a while and many takes, you’ve gotten into the head of Li Po (sorry I’m in reader so not sure if I got that right)? Or into the headspace of the version of yourself doing Li Po?
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Probably the latter. The adaptations are more likely to reflect my personal philosophies/cultural biases that those of Li Po, but I try to stay true to what I believe is the “tone” of the original.
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Yes, true- of course you’d be bringing yourself and your perspectives to it. But is that self different in anyway to the self writing a fresh poem?
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It’s slightly different, in that with these adaptations I’m trying to conform to an established aesthetic.
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A different interpretation of that last line might be that heaven and earth are artificially separated in the human world. A simple peach blossom floating downstream draws the two back together: Heaven is earth. Earth is heaven.
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That is an interesting and enticing interpretation!
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Beautiful. Some things can’t be explained, only experienced.
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I agree. Living the experience is often enough for me.
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This is beautiful and peaceful.
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Thank you.
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You’re welcome.
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A beautiful translation–lovely poem!!
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Thank you, Robin. I wish I could carve out more time to work on more of these.
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I hope you do find time to do more! I love Li Po and I loved your translations! Regardless, thank you for doing this one!
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I have more free time than ever, and it’s not enough! Whine! 🙂
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Beautiful stuff!
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Thank you.
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One of the great poem , I read . 🙂
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Thanks very much!
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you’re such a big thing . 🙂
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Ha! Well, my belly is. 🙂
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Merry Christmas by the way . 🙂
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The same to you. Thank you.
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🙂
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