Exile-s Letter Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIFJKLMNOPQRM DLSMTUUJVWXJYJLZMA2A 2B2C2MD2E2A2MF2A2G2 H2LI2JA2J2MA2K2L2M2J 2LI2MFI2A2N2TA2GFMA2 MPO2A2MP2Q2FN2J2A2R2 S2LMLA2Q2T2U2A2MR2I2 MV2W2X2A2MTo So Kin of Rakuyo ancient friend Chancellor of | A |
Gen | B |
Now I remember that you built me a special tavern | C |
By the south side of the bridge at Ten Shin | D |
With yellow gold and white jewels we paid for songs | E |
and laughter | F |
And we were drunk for month on month forgetting the | G |
kings and princes | H |
Intelligent men came drifting in from the sea and from | I |
the west border | F |
And with them and with you especially | J |
There was nothing at cross purpose | K |
And they made nothing of sea crossing or of mountain | L |
crossing | M |
If only they could be of that fellowship | N |
And we all spoke out our hearts and minds and without | O |
regret | P |
And when I was sent off to South Wei | Q |
smothered in laurel groves | R |
And you to the north of Raku hoku | M |
Till we had nothing but thoughts and memories in | D |
common | L |
And then when separation had come to its worst | S |
We met and travelled into Sen Go | M |
Through all the thirty six folds of the turning and | T |
twisting waters | U |
Into a valley of the thousand bright flowers | U |
That was the first valley | J |
And into ten thousand valleys full of voices and pine | V |
winds | W |
And with silver harness and reins of gold | X |
Out came the East of Kan foreman and his company | J |
And there came also the True man of Shi yo to meet | Y |
me | J |
Playing on a jewelled mouth organ | L |
In the storied houses of San Ko they gave us more | Z |
Sennin music | M |
Many instruments like the sound of young phoenix | A2 |
broods | A2 |
The foreman of Kan Chu drunk danced | B2 |
because his long sleeves wouldn't keep still | C2 |
With that music playing | M |
And I wrapped in brocade went to sleep with my | D2 |
head on his lap | E2 |
And my spirit so high it was all over the heavens | A2 |
And before the end of the day we were scattered like | M |
stars or rain | F2 |
I had to be off to So far away over the waters | A2 |
You back to your river bridge | G2 |
- | |
And your father who was brave as a leopard | H2 |
Was governor in Hei Shu and put down the barbarian | L |
rabble | I2 |
And one May he had you send for me | J |
despite the long distance | A2 |
And what with broken wheels and so on I won't say it | J2 |
wasn't hard going | M |
Over roads twisted like sheep's guts | A2 |
And I was still going late in the year | K2 |
in the cutting wind from the North | L2 |
And thinking how little you cared for the cost | M2 |
and you caring enough to pay it | J2 |
And what a reception | L |
Red jade cups food well set on a blue jewelled table | I2 |
And I was drunk and had no thought of returning | M |
And you would walk out with me to the western corner | F |
of the castle | I2 |
To the dynastic temple with water about it clear as | A2 |
blue jade | N2 |
With boats floating and the sound of mouth organs and | T |
drums | A2 |
With ripples like dragon scales going grass green on the | G |
water | F |
Pleasure lasting with courtezans going and coming | M |
without hindrance | A2 |
With the willow flakes falling like snow | M |
And the vermilioned girls getting drunk about sunset | P |
And the water a hundred feet deep reflecting green | O2 |
eyebrows | A2 |
Eyebrows painted green are a fine sight in young | M |
moonlight | P2 |
Gracefully painted | Q2 |
And the girls singing back at each other | F |
Dancing in transparent brocade | N2 |
And the wind lifting the song and interrupting it | J2 |
Tossing it up under the clouds | A2 |
And all this comes to an end | R2 |
And is not again to be met with | S2 |
I went up to the court for examination | L |
Tried Layu's luck offered the Choyo song | M |
And got no promotion | L |
and went back to the East Mountains | A2 |
White headed | Q2 |
And once again later we met at the South bridge head | T2 |
And then the crowd broke up you went north to San | U2 |
palace | A2 |
And if you ask how I regret that parting | M |
It is like the flowers falling at Spring's end | R2 |
Confused whirled in a tangle | I2 |
What is the use of talking and there is no end of talking | M |
There is no end of things in the heart | V2 |
I call in the boy | W2 |
Have him sit on his knees here | X2 |
To seal this | A2 |
And send it a thousand miles thinking | M |
Ezra Pound
(1)
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