The night is fresh and cool—
Staff in hand, I walk through the gate.
Wisteria and ivy grow together along the winding mountain path;
Birds sing quietly in their nests and a monkey howls nearby.
As I reach a high peak a village appears in the distance.
The old pines are full of poems;
I bend down for a drink of pure spring water.
There is a gentle breeze, and the round moon hangs overhead.
Standing by a deserted building,
I pretend to be a crane softly floating among the clouds.
(translated from the Japanese by John Stevens)
~ from The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy
Edited by John Brehm (Wisdom Publications, 2017)
