Love

The Ferry

by Ch’ien Wēn-ti of Liang 6th century AD

Translated by Arthur Waley (1918) · From A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems (1918)

Love

Of marsh-mallows my boat is made,
The ropes are lily-roots.
The pole-star is athwart the sky:
The moon sinks low.
It’s at the ferry I’m plucking lilies.
But it might be the Yellow River--
So afraid you seem of the wind and waves,
So long you tarry at the crossing.

MLA

Liang, Ch’ien Wēn-ti of. “The Ferry.” Translated by Arthur Waley. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/chien-wen-ti-liang/1/.

Chicago

Liang, Ch’ien Wēn-ti of. “The Ferry.” Translated by Arthur Waley. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/chien-wen-ti-liang/1/.

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