Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ON A BOX CONTAINING HIS OWN WORKS, by PO CHU-YI


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ON A BOX CONTAINING HIS OWN WORKS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: I break up cypress and make a book-box
Last Line: To be left by them to give to my grandchildren.
Alternate Author Name(s): Bai Juyi; Bo Juyi; Po Chu-i; Lo T'ien; Jyu-yi
Subject(s): Books; China - Tang Dynasty (618-905); Writing & Writers; Reading


I BREAK up cypress and make a book-box;
The box well-made, -- and the cypress-wood tough.
In it shall be kept what author's works?
The inscription says PO LO-T'IEN.
All my life has been spent in writing books,
From when I was young till now that I am old.
First and last, -- seventy whole volumes;
Big and little, -- three thousand themes.
Well I know in the end they'll be scattered and lost;
But I cannot bear to see them thrown away,
With my own hand I open and shut the locks,
And put it carefully in front of the book-curtain.
I am like Teng Pai-tao;
But to-day there is not any Wang Ts'an.
All I can do is to divide them among my daughters
To be left by them to give to my grandchildren.





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