74. THE STEEP ROAD TO SHUH
Alas! how precipitous! Alas! how high!
The road to Shuh is more difficult to climb than to climb the steep blue heaven.
In the remotest time of Tsang-tsung and Yu-fu —
Yea, forty milleniums ago — that land was founded.
Yet from the wall of the Middle Kingdom runs no high- way thither, no highway linking human dwel- lings;
Only a lone precipitous path — the bird-way — was built,
Leading westward toward the evening star,
And trailing across the forehead of the Yo-mei moun- tain.
And how those strong men died, traveling over!
The earth sunk and the mountains crumbled.
At last there is now a road of many ladders and bridges hooked together in the air.
Lo, the road-mark high above, where the six dragons circle the sun!
Lo, the stream far below, winding forth and winding back, breaks into foam!
The yellow crane could not fly over these mountain- tops;
And the monkeys wail, unable to leap over these gorges.
How the Green Mud path turns round and round! — There are nine turns to each hundred steps.
The traveler must climb into the very realm of stars, and gasp for breath; [109]
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