Chia Tao: A Letter Sent

寄远

贾岛

家住锦水上，身征辽海边。

十书九不到，一到忽经年。

A Letter Sent

Chia Tao

The family’s living up Brocade Creek,

while I’ve struggled off to this distant sea.

Of ten letters sent, maybe one gets through,

and when it does, it says

another year’s gone by.

（J.P. Seaton 译）