KOREA

How can a heart play any more with life,

After it has found a woman and known tears?

In vain I shut my windows against the moonlight;

I have estranged sleep.

The flower of her face is growing in the shadow

Among warm and rustling leaves....

I see the sunlight on her house,

I see her curtains of vermilion silk....

Here is the almond-coloured dawn;

And there is dew on the petals of my night flower.

Lyric of Korea.

I dreamed that I was touching her eyelids, and I awoke

To find her sleepy temples of rose jade

For one heart-beat....

Though the moonlight beats upon the sea,

There is no boat.

Lyric of Korea.

As water runs in the river, so runs time;

And ever my eyes are wasted of her presence.

The red flowers of the second moon were yesterday;

To-day the earth has spots of blood, and there are no flowers.

The wild geese were harnessed to the autumn moon;

They have come, I heard their crying, and they are gone.

They have passed and given me no message;

I only hear the falling, falling noise of white rain.

Song of Korea.