“For Dan Dlugose”
In vast sky’s expanse sun and moon circle round.
Their journeys mark the flow of time.
Glory be to you, blue sky—for I, the sun-and-moon,
am leaving, bound for the four continents, for joy.
On the mountainside a great Rock stands,
the great vulture circles round.
This meeting and parting mark the flow of time.
Glory be to you, great Rock—for I, the vulture,
will wheel into vast space, for joy.
May lightning never strike you, may my wings never fold.
Traveling thus, may we always meet again in joy
on life’s endless paths.
Through the roiling river flash bright-eyed fish.
This meeting and parting mark the flow of time.
Glory be to you, bright water—for I am leaving,
bound afar, for joy.
May I never be captured, may you never run dry.
Traveling thus, may we always meet again in joy
on life’s endless paths.
In the sunlit garden a flower opens, a bright bee circles round.
This meeting and parting mark the flow of time.
Glory be to you, bright flower—for I will see
the blossoms of other lands.
May hail not beat you down, may winds not carry me away.
Traveling thus, may we always meet again in joy
on life’s endless paths.
Now faithful friends circle round me.
This meeting and parting mark the flow of time.
Glory be to you, dear friends, for I am leaving
bound for the distant mountains.
May I make good progress on the path, may all of you live long.
Traveling thus, may we always meet again in joy
on life’s endless paths. Share this Post
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Comments
This is a free version of Milarepa’s own “Song of Meeting and Parting.” I love Bob’s version of it, and (as his re-imagining attests), the poem can be changed and updated and yet still retain something lucid, ineffable, and essential. This was my own inspiration in writing a new version of it. Robert Lowell has done something similar with canonical western poets in a collection called IMITATIONS. Poetry lovers might check this collection out. As for Glenn’s request for a new version of “The Song of Yogic Zeal,” I’d love to try to make a new version of it, if I can. Send me a source, if you will!
Levekunst – please do “The Song of Yogic Zeal”
Song of Neither Meeting Nor Parting
Within the vastness of mind’s own projections,
nothing comes, goes, or remains the same —
pure joy arises at the mere contemplation
of this unfathomable mystery.
On a great rock there is a bird who does not move,
it sits amidst the clouds and rain, sun and heat,
and yet its glory is revealed by meeting itself
in the midst of any condition or path
without a single flinch of wing.
The rivers run on and yet nothing moves,
not the flow of time, not some traveler moving
on a path, nor bright fish in dreams of flowing water.
In the garden of the real, no flower blooms
to mark the flow of time, no buzzing bee is circling.
No friend arrives to mark time’s flow, no auspicious
progress is attained, no paths leading to joyful destinations
will ever by trod, nor is there any one to tread them.
There is no person who comes and goes, but if you still
believe there is, then you will travel on, regardless.
It is by the author, and it borrows on themes from more than one poem by Milarepa. I think one is in the Rain of Wisdom, one is perhaps #60 in Sixty Songs of Milarepa Translated by Garma C.C. Chang. at http://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh095_Chang_Sixty-Songs-of-Milarepa.html . I do not know which sources Thade used, and I discussed Milarepa with him and shared some sources.
Thank you for very much
It’s awesome!
Is the song by Milarepa or the author?