Pavilion of Swallows Tom Sharp

At the Pavilion of Swallows, I repeat the steps that Lady Panpan paced. The moon is bright like frost. Wind flows like water. The views from here are endless. Fish jump in the curved bay and nobody notices the lotus on which dew pools in large ovals. I was lost in thought, but three drums, a sonorous leaf, wakes me from my dream. The darkness is endless. I walk around the small garden, but what’s gone is forever gone. I’m a tired traveler, looking for a home. I will never be at rest. The doors are locked. We can’t be like the swallows that fly out in the evening. Past and present are only dreams, but we can’t wake up from them. Old joys and new griefs haunt us. After I’m gone, too, travelers will visit, enjoy the view, and sigh for the old poet.

永遇乐·彭城夜宿燕子楼 苏轼

彭城夜宿燕子楼，梦盼盼，因作此词。 明月如霜，好风如水，清景无限。 曲港跳鱼，圆荷泻露，寂寞无人见。 紞如三鼓，铿然一叶，黯黯梦云惊断。 夜茫茫，重寻无处，觉来小园行遍。 天涯倦客，山中归路，望断故园心眼。 燕子楼空，佳人何在，空锁楼中燕。 古今如梦，何曾梦觉，但有旧欢新怨。 异时对，黄楼夜景，为余浩叹。