85

Ch’eng Hao (1032–1085) was born near Hankou in Hupei province and grew up in Loyang. He and his younger brother, Ch’eng Yi, were major advocates of the neo-Confucian revival that dominated the intellectual life of the Sung dynasty. During the ten years he taught in Loyang, his students numbered in the thousands. He also served at the Sung capital in Kaifeng as a companion to the crown prince and as an investigating censor. But due to his opposition to the policies of Wang An-shih, he was demoted and sent to Chenning in Kuangsi province, where he served as an administrative assistant. He was later recalled but died on his way back. The third line recalls a story in Chuangtzu in which Chuang-tzu is out walking with Hui-tzu and pauses to comment on the joy of the fishes playing under a bridge. Hui-tzu says, “You’re not a fish. How do you know if the fishes are happy?” The Taoist sage replied, “You’re not me. How do you know I don’t know the fishes are happy?” (17.13).

Casual Poem on a Spring Day

CH’ENG HAO

The clouds are thin the wind is light the sun is nearly overhead

past the flowers through the willows down along the stream

people don’t see the joy in my heart

they think I’m wasting time or acting like a child