Classic Poem

Massive rains darken the marshes and slopes;
my carriage cannot move ahead.
I linger awhile, gazing at the northern wilds:
clouds and mists spread out everywhere.
Turning around, I go back home
where the chrysanthemums by the hedge are brilliant and beautiful.
The season is about to change:
wine cup in hand, I chant the Great Mystery.
As I become intoxicated, my body relaxes,
and I dream of visiting the Ninefold Flowery Heaven:
the immortal, Master Chung-lu,
bows down to me, and presents me with a book.
He says, " This is the work of Master Kuang-ch'eng;
can you fathom the fish-trap of its words?
Recall that in the past, Wei Po-yang
vowed that his bones would become those of an immortal.
But I pursued the pleasures of worldly people
and ended up miserable at Wu-t'ing Stream.
With my allotted life soon to be spent,
perhaps my fate did have this in store!
So now I thought of drinking from the spatula of elixir,
turning back old age, and seeking longevity! "
His words done, he grasps my hand,
smiling pleasantly, showing me great warmth.
From his sleeve, he produces two pills
which glitter with a light as of the morning sun.
On these he sprinkles some pine dew,
and each of us swallows one of the pills.
Suddenly, my insides feel pure and fresh,
and my spirit utterly transformed.
" I am living below T'ai-po Mountain,
and you reside at the peak of Mount T'ai —
gathering mushrooms and magic herbs,
imbibing jade and lotus from the well.
Let us meet if only for an instant,
riding cranes as we flutter away.
Master Red Pine will be our escort,
the Jade Maiden wait on us as we dine.
Amazing — beyond the ten thousand phenomena,
how can the world's net hold us back now? "