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Magazine Parting WordsCulture

Startled by the Moon a Magpie Took Off

By Xin Qiji, trans. Bill Porter (Red Pine)

Summer 2025

Startled by the moon a magpie took off
cicadas droned in the chilly night air
the scent of flowering rice promised a good harvest
I stopped to listen to the frogs

A handful of stars in the sky
a few misty mountains ahead
the old wine store by the sacred grove
where the road turned I suddenly saw the bridge.

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Xin Qiji (1140-1207) was a Chinese poet, calligrapher, and military general during the Southern Song dynasty.