Buddhism

The Complete Cold Mountain: Poems of the Legendary Hermit Hanshan

Translation: Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt

Part One: Original Poems, Circa Late Sixth to Early Seventh Century

26

Your writing and judgment are not at all poor,
so I wonder why you didn’t pass the official exam.
The examiners may have been twisted or perverse
to rinse off your dirt, seeking sores and scars.
This must be your destiny.
Try again this winter.
Even if a blind person shoots at a sparrow’s eye,
an accidental hit is not impossible!

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