Sheng-yu’s Lament (after Mei Yao-ch’en)
First heaven took my wife,
and now, my son.
These eyes will never dry
and my heart slowly turns to ash.
Rain seeps far into the earth
like a pearl dropped into the sea.
Swim deep and you’ll see the pearl,
dig in the earth and you’ll find water.
But when people return to the source,
we know they’re gone forever.
I touch my empty chest and ask, who
is that withered ghost in the mirror?
* * *
“Sheng-yu’s Lament” is included in my micro-chapbook, No Eye But The Moon’s, available via free download at Origami Poems Project.
The transliteration on Chinese-poems.com reads:
Heaven already take my wife
Again again take my son
Two eyes although not dry
(Disc) heart will want die
Rain fall enter earth in
Pearl sink enter sea deep
Enter sea can seek pearl
Dig earth can see water
Only person return source below
Through the ages know self (yes)
Touch breast now ask who
Emaciated mirror in ghost
O at the Edges 
A lovely version
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Thank you, Derrick!
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Hopefully no personal story. Lovely poem.
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Not my story, but it was Mei’s, alas.
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Poignant.
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Mei’s life was poignant!
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👍You captured it!
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so sad 😭
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He wrote this nearly a thousand years ago, but the feelings are just as sharp as if they’d been written yesterday.
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heartbreaking (K)
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Mei’s poetry lives on!
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This could have been written for my father.
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His grief cuts through the centuries.
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Pingback: Lament (after Sheng-yu’s Lament by Mei Yao-che’en) | Frank Hudson
Always enjoy your “after…” classical Chinese poems here.
I couldn’t resist taking my own crack at this poem, even after seeing the fine job you did with it, and then of course composing and playing some music to set it in: Mei Yao-che’en meets John Cale — well sort of…
So far I can’t find anything about Sheng-yu’s exact story or if it would have been familiar to Mei’s readers back then, but as with those who’ve responded above, all grief connects, and has your rendering connected with modern readers.
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Thanks, Frank. The more the merrier, with these poems. Every version adds a bit to the conversation. I especially like that you’ve added music to the equation.
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