Living
After Lunch
Translated by Arthur Waley (1918) · From A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems (1918)
Living
After lunch--one short nap:
On waking up--two cups of tea.
Raising my head, I see the sun’s light
Once again slanting to the south-west.
Those who are happy regret the shortness of the day;
Those who are sad tire of the year’s sloth.
But those whose hearts are devoid of joy or sadness
Just go on living, regardless of “short” or “long.”
Cite this poem
MLA
Chü-i, Po. “After Lunch.” Translated by Arthur Waley. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/po-chu-i/32/.
Chicago
Chü-i, Po. “After Lunch.” Translated by Arthur Waley. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/po-chu-i/32/.
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