A Chinese Poem from the Tang Dynasty

                                               Here in the mountain village

                                Evening falls peacefully.

                                Half tipsy, I lounge in the

                                Doorway. The moon shines in the

                                Twilight sky. The breeze is so 

                                Gentle the water is hardly

                                               Ruffled. I have escaped from

                                 Lies and trouble. I no longer

                                 Have any importance. I

                                 Do not miss my horses and

                                 Chariots. Here at home I

                                 Have plenty of pigs and chickens.

The poem is by Lu Yu, the author of  The Classic of Tea. 

The translation is by Kenneth Rexroth whose 100 Poems from the Chinese is one of my favorites. (Also his 100 Poems from the Japanese.)