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Black Dragon Riverboat

兰舟玄龍 Lán Zhōu Xuán Lóng

Lán Zhōu, meaning literally a 'boat made of lily magnolia wood' is simply a poetic term for a boat. In this instance, although I am a poet, it is also the literal truth - almost. The hull planks and beams of my junk riverboat, the 玄龍 Xuán Lóng (Black Dragon) are teak, but its upper parts, interior panels and decoration are all indeed carved from the wood of the lily magnolia tree.

Please come aboard, honoured guest, and I'll get the servants to bring up cane chairs and cushions so we can sit a while on the deck to enjoy the soft sinking of sweet-scented twilight to dusk, and dusk to night.

悽悽去親愛， 泛泛入煙霧；
歸棹洛陽人， 殘鐘廣陵樹。
今朝為此別， 何處還相遇？
世事波上舟， 沿洄安得住。

Wistful, away from my friends and kin,
Through mist and fog I float and float
With the sail that bears me toward Loyang.
In Yangzhou trees linger bell-notes of evening,
Marking the day and the place of our parting....
When shall we meet again and where?
...Destiny is a boat on the waves,
Borne to and fro, beyond our will.

- 韋應物 Wei Yingwu (c.737-791)

移舟泊煙渚， 日暮客愁新。
野曠天低樹， 江清月近人。

While my little boat moves on its mooring of mist,
And daylight wanes, old memories begin....
How wide the world was, how close the trees to heaven,
And how clear in the water the nearness of the moon!

- 孟浩然 Meng Haoran (c. 691 - 740)

Dragon is a gift from my lovely neighbour Yoshi-san

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