
neck coiled,
egret hovers stock still
to snap up a fish.

neck coiled,
egret hovers stock still
to snap up a fish.
West Lake is beautiful from a small boat.
Green water wends its way through the lotus,
Sweet grass grows thickly all along the bank,
Faint music wafts from unknown points ashore.
When the wind quits, the Lake is glassy smooth;
The boat is perfectly still for a beat,
Then its movement is betrayed by ripples
And startled waterfowls' furious flapping.
Note: The title “Gathering Mulberry Leaves” was used by Xu Yuanchong for his translation. The Chinese title is: 採桑子 (Cǎi Sāngzǐ)

the low morning sun
burns through gray clouds; the
still lake looks iced over

an egret alights
on a coracle boat
without nudging it.