By Li Bai  (Translated by Lan Hua)

In the rickety tower
A hundred feet high
My hands could pluck
The stars from the sky
I dare not speak
More than a whisper
For fear of disturbing
The Immortals nearby

 

Lan Hua is a writer and translator based in New York.  His translations of Chinese poetry are available online at www.tangspirit.net  and his own poetry is available online at  lampoetry.blogspot.com

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One Response

  1. Joshua Philipp

    Li Bai is my favorite poet. Great translation. I’ve honestly never read a version of this poem that keeps a good rhyming structure.

    Reply

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