Bonsai of Thoughts: Ninety-Two

1. Rows of casuarina trees along the ocean's edge,
a sea of pebbles on this shore,
my heart amid the waters,
your dwelling on the farther bank.

2. Our meeting lasted but a moment,
and I remained as unfortunate as before.
Always, my fate is bound to low tide;
now, my life is bound to you.

3. All night long in moonlight, bathing and bathing...
at last comes autumn's dawn.
Seeing your footprints, I wait still,
you had said you'd return one day.

4. Against the hills, a kingdom of winds—
what you call a storm—
in that wind, some old abandoned leaves and branches
again fall scattered across the plains.

5. Autumn's melancholy moonlit nights
live and grow within this mind,
not mine alone—
others too have their share of this sorrow and grief.

6. I pray seated on an expensive prayer rug,
seek Him on the costly stones of the mosque,
forgetting to enrich the heart,
the mosque no longer becomes the mind.

7. While walking against the hills,
mind your feet, save those wildflowers
that drew you, your grandfather
to the mountains—thinking of your children.

8. When the king might come to hill or forest,
let there be leaves and flowers to enchant him—
do the rows of trees
in winter months keep this awareness at all?

9. Ah, the river's erosion
echoes in my heart,
even then, why does love, arriving,
find no way to discover you?

10. The village is ringed by hills; peaceful.
When winter comes I fear, I seek the rain.
It seems friends have vanished somewhere!
No people anywhere, no green either.

11. Some roses red, some white.
Coming to the garden, I wonder which to take.
Eventually, I fear—what if they fall!
I return home empty-handed, carrying doubt in my mind.

12. What friendship with the cool moon?
Light that burns before its time—
where is there grayer light than this!
At day's end, dawn comes before night...to an empty room.

13. The moon at dawn, I truly thought,
washes all the hills with light throughout the night.
But no, now I see,
the hills bathe themselves, mainly in tears.

14. Yesterday's stormy winds,
some trees uprooted;
and heaps of leaves are held
by the river flowing beneath the hills.

15. Spring has come, sunlight again in the sky,
heaven's laughter floats in light...
I watch the falling of flowers
and weep bitterly.

16. Old friends have all gone away
one by one, those I knew.
Still today, along the ocean's edge
casuarina groves grow that I don't know.

17. The village of childhood exists no more.
New faces appear before my eyes.
Yet beside your path, that faithful fragrance
reminds me again and again of childhood.

18. The most beautiful summer nights are very short.
They depart before one can blink!
Just which cloud the moon hides behind—
searching for that...suddenly dawn arrives!

19. Ah, beautiful morning! The dewdrops laugh!
Like diamond grains upon the grass!
Suddenly...autumn winds
come and murder them!

20. Heart broken, yet I don't weep,
I salute fate with a bow.
For all the vows you've broken,
this prayer alone: may you not suffer punishment in penance.