The Saga Of Li Ning-Yang Poem by David Lewis Paget

Li Ning-yang was a Holy man
Who studied the Daoist lore,
He lived in an older dynasty
But which, we're not really sure,
He studied for immortality
And prayed to the heaven on high,
They sent Lao Tzu, and he said that: ‘You
Will learn of it, by and by! '

Ning-yang was favoured by fortune,
Was well looked on by the gods,
They said: ‘He'll be an immortal
When he bows to the rules and rods,
He needs to study in Hua Shan
We'll give him the gift to go,
We'll raise him out of his body,
And give him a week or so.'

Ning-yang had a faithful disciple,
A student he called Lang Lin,
He left him in charge of his body
So no other soul could get in,
Ning-yang said ‘Give me just seven days
To inhabit my body again,
If I don't return, then cremate me,
And scatter my poor remains.

Ning-yang flew off in the spirit
To study at Lao Tzu's knee,
And all the while Lang Lin stood watch
And waited there patiently,
A messenger came that his mother was ill,
Was dying and needed a prayer,
So he burnt Ning-yang on the sixth day, after
He'd left his body there.

Ning-yang returned on the seventh day
To a pile of ash on the ground,
All that was left of his earthly form,
Lang Lin was not to be found,
He roamed abroad in the trees and ferns
Found a starving beggar, just dead,
And flew on in through his temples,
Took over his body instead.

He later found to his horror, then
That the head swept up to a point,
The face was black and the hair stuck out,
Too grim for the gods to annoint,
His eyes were as huge as saucers,
A look you could only despise,
The peasants laughed as he shuffled through
And christened him: ‘Hollow eyes! '

He sought to be rid of the body
But Lao Tzu cautioned him then,
‘You must remain in this body now
Or stay in the world of men.'
He travelled onward to see Lang Lin
The mother was not alive,
So he poured in a gourd of medicants
To her mouth, and saw her revive.

‘I've learned one lesson, ' he told Lang Lin,
‘A lesson that you should mind,
If ever you travel to Hua Shan
Don't leave your body behind! '
The gods took pity on Li Ning-yang
A man who had never sinned,
So he disappeared in a puff of smoke
And was blown away by the wind.

8 March 2013