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Wang Chi (585–644) was from Shansi province and retired twice, the last time to Tungkao near his family home in Hochin. Tungkao means “Eastern Paddy” and appears as a place-name in a poem by T’ao Yuan-ming, on whose life of simplicity Wang modeled his own. Here, the cowherds remind him of the leaders of the new T’ang dynasty, and the hunters call to mind its generals. But watching them go by, he sees no friends and sings instead about the blameless pursuit of gathering ferns, just as the recluses Po-yi and Shu-ch’i did when they refused to serve King Wu (r. 1122–1116 B.C.), the founder of the Chou dynasty. Retiring to a mountain just south of Tungkao, they sang: “Climb that west slope / pick those ferns / trading evil for evil / don’t they know is wrong / the sage kings are gone / where can we go / oh we’re both finished / life doesn’t last.”

Gazing across the Countryside

WANG CHI

Watching dusk fade at Tungkao

I look for something to lean on

every tree is the color of fall

peak after peak loses its light

cowherds lead their calves home

hunters ride by with their prey

I look but don’t know their faces

I sing about gathering ferns