2. The 23rd century BCE Power Point Club Copyright ⓒ 2003-2006 The 23 rd Century BCE PowerPoint Club. All Rights Reserved.
3. The Poems of the Eastern East The Poems of the Eastern East The Poems of the Eastern East The Poems of the Eastern East The Poems of the Eastern East By: Ravish Chawla, Ryan Whatley, and Pierce Sanders
4. One of us may feel That life holds only pain, and another That our lot is shameful, Yet since we are not birds, but men, We cannot find escape in flight I was born in this world as a man, And in the fields, I have toiled as hard as any, And yet my clothes Consist of this one unpadded vest Of coarse hempen fiber Hanging across and down my shoulders, Dangling all in tatters The Destitute Man By: Kakinomoto Hitomaro Translated by: Robert H. Brower, and Earl Roy Miner. Selected by: Ryan Whatley Even the manner of cooking food, And like the night finch We raise weak-throated cries. Yet this is not all. For to cap our misery, to cut— As the saying goes— What was already short still shorter, The growling voice Of the tax collecter with his stick Even disrupts our sleep, And he stands threatening at the door. Is this the only waMust life be only this, So hopelessly beyond our powers? y of the world? The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East Though the saying goes That the heavens and earth are vast, My experience is That they have shrunk upon me; And though the saying is That the sun and moon are radiant, My experince is That they have failed to shine on me, Do all men suffer so, Or is this the case with me alone? With blessed fortune No better than ragged strips of kelp, My house is a hovel, Low roofed and half fallen in, With cold bare earth. Beneath the scattered straw, In the seat above My father and mother crouch, While down below My wife and children lie And press about me, Groaning in their wreatchedness. Upon the hearth No fire sends up its smoke, And in the pot Only a spider drapes its web— We have forgotten
5. What is the reason behind the simple nature. have you ever thought Why is the sky blue And why is the water wet Why is the earth round Why is the silk soft Why is there heat in the fire Why is the snow cold why is there the sun why is there the night and day why is there the moon why do rivers flow why does the sun rise in east and why do we breath why are there jungles why are there everlong trees why is the nature why can’t we see air why can’t we hear silence why are there borders why don’t fishes fly why isn’t two and two five why don’t the birds swim The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Choka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East what is the reason behind the simple nature. have you ever thought of these simple things of life What is the meaning of life The Choka of the 23 rd Century BCE By: Ravish Chawla
6. The Haiku Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Haiku Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Haiku Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Haiku Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Haiku Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Old Pond, By Matsuo Basho Translated by: Robert Hass Selected by: Ryan Whatley Furuike ya, Kawazu Tobikomu, Mizi no oto. The Old pond, A frog jumps in, Sound of water. The moonlight reflects With the dark rays of sun At the core of dawn. The Haiku of the 23 rd Century, BCE By: Ravish Chawla and Pierce Sanders The dark red wagon Relaxing in the green lawn Shines in the light mizzle.
7. As the stars widened In the dark black sky at night, The moon rose up, And joined the beautiful stars Creating a startling sight. Breathtaking Eagle Soars high in the cloudy sky Eyes peering downward Tis beginning of winter Hunting for food to survive. The tanka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The tanka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The tanka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The tanka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The tanka Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East Eye of an Eagle By Melvina Germain Selected by: Ryan Whatley The Tanka of the 23 rd Century BCE By: Ravish Chawla and Pierce Sanders The side of the creek, The small fish struggle to stay. They can’t stop wagging, Just wait for the rain to come, The creek floods and the fish relax.
8. The Shih Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Shih Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Shih Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Shih Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East The Shih Poems, of the Eastern Japan of the East Grand in the south the thunder rolls, Beyond that lofty hill. Why must he go, nor dare to stay Brief space at rest and still? Absent my noble lord I mourn, May he return! May he return! Grand in the south the thunder rolls Along that mountain’s side Why must he go from this, nor dare Brief time at rest to bide? Absent my noble lord I mourn, May he return! May he return! Grand in the south the thunder rolls, Around that mountain’s base. Why must he go from this, nor dare Indulge himself a space? Absent my noble lord I mourn, May he return! May he return! The Yin Ch’i Lei from the Shih Ching The Shih of the 23 rd Century BCE By Ravish Chawla Think of simple ways Because they are easier They make things easy And make things smaller Thinking of the hard Takes up more ATP, Always think in simplicity Because it is reality
12. Brewer, Robert H. and Earl Roy Miner. Japanese Court Poetry. Stanford: University Press, 1961. Transltion: Legge,James. "Yin Ch'i Lei from Shih Ching". <http://www.sacred- texts.com/cfu/bop/bop022.htm> 23 October 2008. Germain, Melvina. "Eye of an Eagle". <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/eye- of-an-eagle-tanka-poem/> 23 October 2008. Basho, Matsuo. "The Old Pond" <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-old- pond/> 23 October 2008.
13. Credits PowerPoint produced by: Ravish Chawla Research by: Ryan Whatley The Poems of the 23 rd Century BCE , produced by Ravish Chawla, and Pierce Sanders The end
