One of the great philosopher-poets of the Taoist school. His life was spent
far from the court and away from the sounds of civil warfare,
in the endeavour to set himself in harmony with the universe -- to become,
in fact, like an Aeolian harp through which all the cords of nature
might sweep at will. How far he attained the end desired may be seen
in his work, which is penetrated by a sense of profound beauty,
recalling the quiet twilight upon the mountain-side,
which he so well describes.




A Night on the Mountain



I sat upon the mountain-side and watched
A tiny barque that skimmed across the lake,
Drifting, like human destiny upon
A world of hidden peril; then she sailed
From out my ken, and mingled with the blue
Of skies unfathomed, while the great round sun
Weakened towards the waves.
The whole expanse
Suddenly in the half-light of the dusk
Glimmered and waned. The last rays of the sun
Lit but the tops of trees and mountain-peaks
With tarnished glory; and the water's sheen,
Once blue and bright, grew lustreless, and soon
A welter of red clouds alone betrayed