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Sage of the Jade Dragon
- Sage of the Jade Dragon -
(Xiánzhě Yùlóng)
In the mountains that rose, to meet the lapis sky…
There, climbed an adventurer, a pilgrim: a warrior.
In the Imperial Court, not a man could ever deny,
His deeds were legendary, and filled with hot fire!
In his youth, he fought in the Three Kingdoms age,
For the land of Wu, the fortunes of the Sun family!
Now he was quiet, contemplative like unto a sage,
As he stole up the high lofty paths: ever so silently.
Along the path, the climber came upon a tiny hut…
Wherein a hermit dwelt, who asked him this query:
“Do you seek to learn something, and journey up?
Or do you seek to erase something from memory!”
But not a word the climber spoke, except for this,
A statement for which the hermit had no answer…
“I have had my fill of war and now I long for bliss.”
And so the adventurer journeyed on, even quieter.
Nearer the summit of the mountain, he came then,
To a tent pitched on a ledge, with a slim path to it.
Within, was the most beautiful of all living women!
She bade the climber relax, and by her side to sit.
“If it is bliss you seek, I can show you ecstasies…
Which will make you forget the evils of old battle.”
But he declined, his truths crossing all boundaries:
“Ecstasy ends, but memories return with a rattle!”
Finally the adventurer reached the mountain’s top,
And there, he found a temple carved of cool jade.
Within was a dragon, which bid him to there stop,
And the dragon’s revelation made him feel afraid!
Mountains upon mountains, each higher than last,
Rose beyond the temple like the bones of a spine.
“Will you climb forever, running from your past?”
And back down the mountain, the man did climb.
He became a gifted sage, in the Emperor’s court,
Writing works, which wise men quoted for years.
Never again did he look to the heavens for sport,
Nor seek to purge himself fully of his mortal fears.
He found bliss, in accepting where he had been…
While creating a future, free from his old burdens.
He thanked the Jade Dragon, who he had seen…
Without him, he would still be climbing mountains!
(Xiánzhě Yùlóng)
In the mountains that rose, to meet the lapis sky…
There, climbed an adventurer, a pilgrim: a warrior.
In the Imperial Court, not a man could ever deny,
His deeds were legendary, and filled with hot fire!
In his youth, he fought in the Three Kingdoms age,
For the land of Wu, the fortunes of the Sun family!
Now he was quiet, contemplative like unto a sage,
As he stole up the high lofty paths: ever so silently.
Along the path, the climber came upon a tiny hut…
Wherein a hermit dwelt, who asked him this query:
“Do you seek to learn something, and journey up?
Or do you seek to erase something from memory!”
But not a word the climber spoke, except for this,
A statement for which the hermit had no answer…
“I have had my fill of war and now I long for bliss.”
And so the adventurer journeyed on, even quieter.
Nearer the summit of the mountain, he came then,
To a tent pitched on a ledge, with a slim path to it.
Within, was the most beautiful of all living women!
She bade the climber relax, and by her side to sit.
“If it is bliss you seek, I can show you ecstasies…
Which will make you forget the evils of old battle.”
But he declined, his truths crossing all boundaries:
“Ecstasy ends, but memories return with a rattle!”
Finally the adventurer reached the mountain’s top,
And there, he found a temple carved of cool jade.
Within was a dragon, which bid him to there stop,
And the dragon’s revelation made him feel afraid!
Mountains upon mountains, each higher than last,
Rose beyond the temple like the bones of a spine.
“Will you climb forever, running from your past?”
And back down the mountain, the man did climb.
He became a gifted sage, in the Emperor’s court,
Writing works, which wise men quoted for years.
Never again did he look to the heavens for sport,
Nor seek to purge himself fully of his mortal fears.
He found bliss, in accepting where he had been…
While creating a future, free from his old burdens.
He thanked the Jade Dragon, who he had seen…
Without him, he would still be climbing mountains!
Published 6th Jul 2015
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6th Jul 2015 8:52pm
7th Jul 2015 3:53am
That is good, Zoey, that this poem makes you think about things… it is, at its’ heart, a philosophical Zen-like story with a certain practical spirituality to it. I am very glad you enjoyed it! :)
8th Jul 2015 1:29am
8th Jul 2015 4:26am
