1

Happiness in the Morning
by Wen-siang, Chinese refugee poet, 1210
from Sleepless Nights:Verses for the Wakeful
translated by Thomas Cleary

Happy in the morning,
I open my cottage door;
A clear breeze blowing
comes straight in.
The first sun
lights the leafy trees;
the shadows it casts
are crystal clear.
Serene,
in accord with my heart,
Everything merges
in one harmony.
Gain and loss
are not my concern;
this way is enough
to the end of my day

2

Free People

The universe has free people
whom nothing whatever concerns.
Controlling their thoughts,
they stop all illusions
to find one whole reality.
Having forgotten all about glory,
how could they worry about disgrace?
Since they have no riches at all,
how could they dislike poverty?
Although you may say
the green mountains are fine,
Still know they are objects outside.