Two Sides of the Same Coin

This poem came about as I was doodling with pencil and a piece of paper. The idea is about two sides of the same coin…

1 一夜偶遇兩相逢 Once upon a nocturnal chance encounter, twain shall meet,
2 是真是假到頭空 In the end, whether real or not, emptiness abound.
3 桃源仙界與蓬萊 Whether in Paradise, the fairy realm or Immortal Isles, it matters not.
4 朝霧來去詐春夢 Like morning mists coming and dispersing – ‘tis better to feign as awakenings from dreams of spring.

2 an adaptation from Po Chu I’s 花非花, 霧非霧 poem.

3 Of the three mythical places, only Peach Source Paradise had been explicitly set foot on by mortals. “it matters not” is not in the original text but is implied.

4 Again adaption from the final lines of #1: …來如春夢無多時，去似朝雲無覓處.

Saturday, February 5, 2022