Euterpe must have been Russian. But now she is bowing to China

A fork in the road: everything is one

Valleys and alleys—

Which one to choose?

The latter open up cities

And used to change stables

Into sidewalks with trees.

Through them your life

Might also want to stream

And so develop at an angle

Or even grow parallel

With the main street.

And though I like cafes

With little cups and talks

And those so quiet and wise

Libraries, squares and parks,

I would gladly follow the path,

On which Weng Wei had passed,

Heading into a valley—just simply

In a company with carefree  clouds

For man too is like that road’s dust

—lonely, lowly—yet lofty

When some valley’s beauty outside,

Love, the found little first sign

Missing in alleys or the deepest sky

Picked him up without regard

And so into the light he goes and flies.

 

Inspired by Weng Wei’s The Yu Gong Valley

Heading into a valley
Quite simply traveling
With nobody else
But Master Li
To accompany me
Nothing is needed
For either of us
Except a place to sleep
Empty and carefree
Content without regard
Whether it’s spring or summer
Or whichever way
East or west may lie
Unknowing
Just like a child
That’s how it feels
Lowly and lofty
At one and the same time.