September 25, 2024
“I grieve at the news of my old friends — scattered, dying …”
— Wang Wei
Since the beginning of time, the experience of grief has been a universal one across different cultures, and it is often found expression in art and poetry.
Wang Wei was a Chinese poet and painter who lived from 699 to 759 in the Tang dynasty. During the golden age of Chinese cultural history, he was recognized as a distinguished man of letters. A Buddhist monk, Wei wrote poetry that is as relevant today as it was 1300 years ago, and more than 400 of his poems have been preserved.
Weeping Over the Death of Yin Yao
How long may a man expect to live?
Soon or late, he must again become nothingness …
As I sit here brooding over your death,
Ten thousand memories sadden my heart …
Your beloved mother’s body is not yet buried;
And your little girl is only ten years old …
Over the vast and lonely countryside
I hear the desolate sound of weeping.
Drifting clouds blot out the blue of Heaven;
Flying birds no longer call …
How melancholy must the lone traveler be!
Even in the busy day I am crushed with grief …
I remember while you were still with us,
You asked me to teach you the Principle of the Void.
Alas, that I never did instruct you!
Your failure to attain the goal — my fault, not yours.
Former friends have each presented their funeral gifts —
But oh, why not have given them while you were living!
And I? I have shown you ingratitude in more ways than one …
Weeping bitterly, I go blindly to my own humble door.
***
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