Often I recall that day,

the river pavilion

in the setting sun, and

we too drunk to know

the way home. As

our high spirits

fled, we started

to return late

in our boat,

but were confused

and entered,

deeply,

a place where

the flowering lotus

was in full bloom.

And struggling to go through,

struggling

to go through,

we startled

a whole sandbank of herons

into flight!

Translated by Joan Sutherland.