From The Midwest Book Review: The Mountain Poems of Meng Hao-Jan
Meng Hao-jan (689-740 C.E.) is one of China ‘s greatest poets during the illustrious T’ang Dynasty. A man who was deeply influenced by Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism and provides unique insights encapsulated by succinct language. Now expertly and deftly translated into English for the first time by David Hinton, the poetry of this esteemed elder in the pantheon of China ‘s greatest poets is readily available and accessible to a greatly appreciative American readership. Adrift at Wu-ling: Wu-ling’s river thinned out, my long-ago/boat glides on into peach-blossom forests//where headwaters harbored such quiet/mystery: immortal families so deep away.//Water meanders, blurs into blue cliffs,/darkens green beneath a crossing cloud.//I sit listening. Idle gibbons cry out, mind/sudden clarity far beyond a world of dust.