Classic Poem

This precarious peak commands a view
of the Ch'u river's shore;
how many twists of the sheep-gut road
until you reach this place?
Ten thousand pines and cedars
where two paths converge;
four mountains-full of wind and rain,
a single monk, so cold!
Over level sands, pale grasses
stretch to the horizon;
in setting sunlight, a solitary town
is visible across the water.
Chi to the north and Hsiang down south
both are seen from here;
surrounded by songs of partridges
I lean on the balustrade, alone.