"Strange Bird"
Yuan Chi ( AD 210-263) Translated by Yang Chi-sing.

The strange bird makes its abode in the woods:
Its name is "Phoenix".
In the morning it drinks at the honeyed spring,
At night it seeks rest on the hillside.
Throughout the land there rings its shrill note.
Neck-craning, its eye reaches all corners of the earth.
There sweeps along a gust of west wind,
Wherefore it causes the plumage to be impaired.
Then it flies westward toward the K'un-lung Mountains,
And who knows whether it will return?
Now a great regret seizes upon my mind-
If only I had my home in a different place!






On climbing Phoenix tower at Chin-Ling
Li-Po (about 758 ad)

Once in the Phoenix Tower the Phoenix made her nest.
Now the Phoenix has gone, the tower empty, only theriver flowing on.
There were flowers in the garden of Wu, but the paths are now hidden in deep grass.
Here the great lords of Chin are buried in the grave mounds.
Half of these three mountains stretched into the blue sky.
The river's two streams wander round the White Heron Island.
Floating clouds forever are shading the rays of the sun.
And I am grief stricken because I cannot see Ch'ang An.

Summmarized notes from the introduction to Li Po:
Li Po was a tall and powerfully built man with a screeching voice.
He called himself "tai-peng", - The great phoenix, whose wings obscure
the sun like clouds. While some poets composedspent great effort, Li Po
composed effortlessly. But even though such work was effortless for him,
his poems also had tremendous power.
 
 

Song of the Vermeil Phoenix
Tu Fu

See you not Heng Mountain towering over the Hunan hills,
From its summit the vermeil phoenix murmuring leans
Over to gaze, forever seeking his comrades?
His wings are folded, his mouth is closed, but his mind is working
With pity for all the birds that are caught in nets,
From which even the tiny oriole can escape.
He would dispense to them ants and fruit of bamboo,
Provoking hawk and vulture to scream their threats.
 
 

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Source: The White Pony: An anthology of chinese poetry. Edited by robert payne. A mntor book, published by new american library.  copyright 1947 by the john day company, First printing august 1960 New American Library of World Literature inc 501 Madison ave Ny 22 ny For info address the john day company NY 36 NY