| in buddhism they speak of the three dignities of man: walking; standing; sitting there are three types of zen sitting zen standing zen walking zen when you sit, just sit when you walk, just walk but whatever you do don't wobble in fact of course you can wobble if you really wobble well... |
| When the old master Hiyakojo was asked "What is Zen?" he said: "When hungry- eat!" When tired- sleep!" But they said: "Well isn't that what everyone does?" "Aren't you just like ordinary people?" Oh he said "No, they don't do anything of the kind" When they are hungry, they don't just eat, they think of all sorts of things... When they are tired they don't just sleep, but dream all sorts of dreams... |
| zen |
| "...sleep deeply and breathe from your heels..." |
| Allusions to Classical Chinese Poetry in Pink Floyd It is not that widely known that Pink Floyd quoted lines from classical Chinese poetry in a couple of their early songs. The first was the song 'Chapter 24' on 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn', released in 1967. This song by Syd Barrett quotes the Chinese Book of Changes (I Ching). Another song is much more interesting. First, it doesn't quote just any old classical Chinese poetry, but a couple of incredible, even startling poets of the ninth century Tang Dynasty. One of the poets has always been popular, noted for his mysterious love poetry. Another, known as a 'daemonic genius', has been neglected for over a thousand years and only recently rediscovered. Moreover, some of the lines quoted refer even further back, to the oldest major poet in the Chinese tradition, born in the fourth century before Christ. The song in question is 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun', which we will look at below. In addition, 'Cirrus Minor' from the album 'More' also alludes to Chinese poetry, so we will also have a look at this song. As this site is devoted to Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese, we'll take this as an opportunity not just to look at the source of Pink Floyd's lyrics, a humble but compelling Penguin anthology of Chinese poetry, but also to look at the original works -- in Chinese. Don't worry if your classical Chinese is a bit rusty. It's reasonably easy to understand in a word-for-word translation and we'll be providing the English version that Roger Waters read. Set the controls for the Tang dynasty The third song on Pink Floyd's second album, 'A Saucerful of Secrets' (released on 29 June 1968) is a hypnotic paean to the sun with the sci-fi title of 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun'. The lyrics to this song, written by Roger Waters, are remarkably elusive. Since they're delivered in an almost unintelligible whisper, it's not surprising that several versions can be found on the Internet, some of them so off the track that one suspects they might have been lifted straight from the Japanese liner notes. My preferred version goes: SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE SUN Little by little the night turns around, Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn. Lotuses lean on each other in yearning; Under the eaves the swallow is resting. Set the controls for the heart of the Sun. Over the mountain, watching the watcher, Breaking the darkness, waking the grapevine. One inch of love is one inch of shadow. Love is the shadow that ripens the wine. Set the controls for the heart of the Sun. Witness the man who raves at the wall Making the shape of his questions to Heaven. Knowing the sun will fall in the evening, Will he remember the lessons of giving? Set the controls for the heart of the Sun. Set the controls for the heart of the Sun. The night turns around The first line of 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun' carries the interesting conceit of the night 'turning round': Little by little the night turns around This line was taken from one of Li shang-yin's untitled poems, the third in a group of four. The poem runs: UNTITLED POEM (iii) Bite back passion. Spring now sets. Watch little by little the night turn around. Echoes in the house; want to go up, dare not. A glow behind the screen; wish to go through, cannot. It would hurt too much, the swallow on a hairpin; Truly shame me, the phoenix on a mirror. On the road back, sunrise over Heng-t'ang. The blossoming of the morning-star shines farewell on the jewelled saddle. Countless the twigs which tremble in the dawn Li Shang-yin's poem 'Willow' is the source of the line 'Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn' in 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun'. Like Waters' other lines about 'swallows resting' and 'lotuses yearning', this line points to a deep agitation which belies the stillness of the time just before sunrise.The sensuality and playfulness of the poem come through vividly in translation. The lyrics to 'Cirrus Minor' also refer to the willows waving to the river daughters. Could this line have been written under the influence of this poem or other poems in 'Poems of the Late T'ang' which refer to willows? WILLOW Boundless the leaves roused by spring, Countless the twigs which tremble in the dawn. Whether the willow can love or not, Never a time when it does not dance. Blown fluff hides white butterflies, Drooping bands disclose the yellow oriole. The beauty which shakes a kingdom must reach through all the body: Who comes only to view the willow's eyebrows? The second Pink Floyd song to quote from the Penguin anthology is 'Cirrus Minor', from the soundtrack to the film 'More'. The words to this song are difficult to make out and versions vary. My take is as follows: CIRRUS MINOR In a churchyard by a river Lazing in the haze of midday, Laughing in the grasses and the graves. Yellow bird you are not long in Singing and in flying on, In laughing and in leaving. Willow weeping in the water, Waving to the river daughters, Swaying in the ripples and the reeds. On a trip to Cirrus Minor Saw a crater in the sun A thousand miles of moonlight later. ** 'Cirrus Minor' is a strangely affecting song that begins with birdsong and moves into a quiet guitar section. The lyrics when they come are a strange journey (supposedly a drug experience) from a natural but eerie scene of greenery and water to the sun, the moon, and Cirrus Minor. It ends with a haunting organ piece. One line in the lyrics comes, 'A thousand miles of moonlight later', is from Li He's poem 'On the Frontier'. Although some of these lyrics have been called 'Zen' lyrics by at least one misguided soul, they in fact owe much to an anthology of Chinese poetry called 'Poems of the Late T'ang' by A. C. Graham, published by Penguin in 1965. After this anthology, Professor Graham went on to display his powers as an expert in ancient Chinese philosophy, including the works of Zhuang-zi, the Daoist (Taoist) philosopher who dreamt he was a butterfly. Some of Professor Graham's work on ancient Chinese philosophy is so ground-breaking that it is recommended reading even for Chinese scholars doing research into their own philosophical tradition. But for me, Professor Graham's most beautiful work remains these translations of a number of major and minor poets of the later years of the Tang dynasty (the eighth and ninth centuries), the tail end of a period universally acknowledged as the Golden Age of Chinese poetry. Read more here: Echoes FAQ |
| To follow the path: look to the master, follow the master, walk with the master, see through the master, become the master. |
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