司空圖二十四詩品《超詣》 / Sikong Tu's Twenty-Four Classes of Poetry, 21 - "Above and Beyond"

We're getting close to the end of Sikong Tu's Twenty-Four Classes of Poetry. Here the poet gives us another very Daoist piece. I particularly like how the first stanza's negative couplet is undercut by the following one; there's a subtlety of difference that's mostly beyond me, but at the same time it's abundantly clear what he's talking about.

The second stanza's bit about how following the Dao invariably leads to breaking with custom is ironic, seeing as how Sikong Tu, and most Chinese poets, came from the scholar-gentry class and routinely incorporated withdrawal from society into the broader fabric of their lives. Obviously this doesn't nullify what he's getting at in the poem, but rare was the Chinese poet whose life as a hermit was actually lived alone, disconnected completely from society. 

See y'all soon with poem #22. In the meantime, I recommend Upusen's latest album, Highland Ave. It's chill without getting too melancholy—and I don't know about you, dudes, but I have had my fill of melancholy lately.

微臣
史大偉

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超詣

司空圖

匪神之靈

匪幾之微

如將白雲

清風與歸

遠引若至

臨之已非

少有道契

終與俗違

亂山喬木

碧苔芳暉

誦之思之

其聲愈希

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"Above and Beyond"
Sikong Tu

It is not the vitality of the spirit

it is not the intangibility of phenomena

but like being borne along on white clouds,

returning on a cool breeze

From afar it seems to draw near

reaching it, it is already gone

if one complements the Dao from early on

one will ultimately break with custom

Jumbled mountains, tall trees

blue-green moss, brilliant sunlight

recite it, think on it

the sound of it growing ever more faint