Venice masks

Wednesday, 29 November 2023

A Plough And A Spade - Nguyen Trai

A plough and a spade, that's all.
A row of chrysanthemums, and orchids,
A place to plant beans: That's all I need.
Friends come, birds sing, and flowers wave: Welcome!
The moon walks with me when I fetch water for tea.
Old Po Yi stayed pure and stayed happy,
Yen-tzu stayed poor and liked it.
Let the world buzz,
I need no praise, I am deaf to laughter.

Nguyen Trai (1380 - 1442) Vietnam
Translator not stated
Source: All Poetry

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