At the edge of heaven, I inhabit my absence

Night

A sliver of moon lulls through clear night.
Half abandoned to sleep, lampwicks char.

Deer wander, uneasy among howling peaks,
and forests of falling leaves startle cicadas.

I remember mince treats east of the river,
think of our boat adrift in falling snow . . .

Tribal songs rise, rifling the stars. Here,
at the edge of heaven, I inhabit my absence.

--Tu Fu, Poet of Tang dynasty -Translated from the Chinese by David Hinton