Saturday 11 June 2011

ping hsin

Remembering

I tear off the calendar,
What day is today?
It is a though a cloud,
Black as a crow,
Swept across my eyes.
I want to be a woman of peace and a philosopher.
I forbid myself to think of him.
But I can think only of him.
I am just the kind of person I am.
I am not a woman of peace.
I am not qualified to be a philosopher.
I only know,
If a man loves me I love him;
If he dislikes me I dislike him.
A piece of land small as a leaf
Will be my home. I can never forget him.


trans unknown

3 comments:

Roxana said...

what does it mean, a 'woman of peace'?
i tried to read about this author, is she this one here?

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/65650/Bingxin

ps. it is aS though, no? :-)

swiss said...

in this context i'm guessing she's wanting to be tranquil and thoughtful rather than subject to the foibles of her emotional life.

the binxin in britannica appears to be the same pinghsin as this one. i got it from women poets of china ed by kenneth rexroth and ling chung which is one of those fortunate books i bought from that time before the internet when being able to buy any book of poetry was a treat!

Titus said...

Really, really liked that. And thanks, Roxana, for the link-trail!