Canto XIix, For the seven Lakes, Ezra Pound

Canto Xlix: For The Seven Lakes

For the seven lakes, and by no man these verses: 
Rain; empty river; a voyage, 
Fire from frozen cloud, heavy rain in the twilight 
Under the cabin roof was one lantern. 
The reeds are heavy; bent; 
and the bamboos speak as if weeping. 

Autumn moon; hills rise about lakes 
against sunset 
Evening is like a curtain of cloud, 
a blurr above ripples; and through it 
sharp long spikes of the cinnamon, 
a cold tune amid reeds. 
Behind hill the monk's bell 
borne on the wind. 
Sail passed here in April; may return in October 
Boat fades in silver; slowly; 
Sun blaze alone on the river. 

Where wine flag catches the sunset 
Sparse chimneys smoke in the cross light 

Comes then snow scur on the river 
And a world is covered with jade 
Small boat floats like a lanthorn, 
The flowing water closts as with cold. And at San Yin 
they are a people of leisure. 

Wild geese swoop to the sand-bar, 
Clouds gather about the hole of the window 
Broad water; geese line out with the autumn 
Rooks clatter over the fishermen's lanthorns, 

A light moves on the north sky line; 
where the young boys prod stones for shrimp. 
In seventeen hundred came Tsing to these hill lakes. 
A light moves on the South sky line. 

State by creating riches shd. thereby get into debt? 
This is infamy; this is Geryon. 
This canal goes still to TenShi 
Though the old king built it for pleasure 

K E I M E N R A N K E I 
K I U M A N M A N K E I 
JITSU GETSU K O K W A 
T A N FUKU T A N K A I 

Sun up; work 
sundown; to rest 
dig well and drink of the water 
dig field; eat of the grain 
Imperial power is? and to us what is it? 

The fourth; the dimension of stillness. 
And the power over wild beasts.