For some while the ghost of Zhu Youijan,
Last emperor of the Ming dynasty
Has held court in the shadow of Coal Hill.
This fact was little known in the West
Until my father (fl. 1926-2011)
Visited and later published interviews
With some of the ghosts who’d drifted
By ones and twos to see the Emperor until
They found they constituted a court.
One of the lesser officials was or is --
It’s never clear which -- a rabbi
Who, not knowing he’d died on the road,
Came to petition the Emperor for relief;
His synagogue and congregation’s homes
Had been swept away by an angry river.
The Emperor has been mulling over his response
Since 1647, three years after his death.
Meanwhile, the rabbi has been taken on
As a deputy in the ministry of works.
When the Ming dynasty resumes he intends
To present the Emperor with his plan
For a comprehensive system of flood control.
No comments:
Post a Comment