Marine Corps Birthday

Yesterday was the Marine Corps birthday which I celebrated. Today is Veteran's Day. In honor of both occasions here are two poems by Li Po translated by Sam Hamill in his Crossing the Yellow River.

Blue Water

He drifts on blue water under a clear moon,
picking white lilies on South Lake.

Every lotus blossom speaks of love
until his heart will break.

Mountain Drinking Song

To drown the ancient sorrows,
we drank a hundred jugs of wine

there in the beautiful moonlight. We couldn't
go to bed with the moon so bright.

Then finally the moon overcame us
and we lay down on the empty mountain:

earth for a pillow
and a blanket made of heaven.