"The peach petals would like to stay,

But moon and wind blow them on.

You won’t find those ancient men,

Those dynasties are dead and gone.

Day by day the blossoms fall,

Year by year the people go.

Where the dust blows through these heights,

There once shone a silent sea."

Translated by A.S. Kline from ancient Chinese, this poem was written by a hermit-poet named Hanshan in China in the 9th century C.E. Ironically, the poet did not write for posterity, but, on the contrary, wrote drafts of his poetry on stones and leaves. As a result, very little of his work remains. What does remain expresses the poignant beauty, as well as the profound spiritual insight, regarding the fleeting nature of all existence.