Back to this place, on the eve of the Year of the Horse
This homeland where I once lived for years
Harbored the first bud of dreams, wrapped in the warmth of attachment
Also bore the twists of fate, and the unspoken journeys of the past
Old friends have all left for their homes, the streets still familiar
I go alone for a meal, to the small shop with childhood tastes
Light clinks of bowls and chopsticks, no one by my side
No more the warm eyes I long to see
No need to force a smile, no need to echo polite greetings
Quiet thoughts run deep in my heart, only shared with myself
Filter out the false noise and entanglements of the world
This dinner is the peace of being alone, the loneliness of standing on a height
The higher you fly, the farther from the mortal world
Few appreciate the high melody, and truly understanding souls grow fewer
The wind of the higher dimension brushes my shoulders above the nine heavens
Why linger on the trivial chirps of mortal birds on the ground
Like a phoenix spreading its wings, soaring above the sea of clouds
Why pause the forward resolve for the trivialities of mortal dust
This dinner tastes the warmth and cold of human relationships
I see the world clearly, and hear the true answer of my heart
This is a dinner of pride, a calm of rising steadily
A quiet joy held fast, after seeing through the world
Let go of the bonds of the past, head for the distant mountains and seas
A dinner alone is also a completeness of one’s own
Homeland has no bounds; where the heart is at peace is home
When the heart holds the world’s mountains and rivers, every place is a blooming homeland
Blood ties are not the only way home; warmth can bloom even among strangers
Where someone understands you, cherishes you, and keeps you in their heart
That is the best haven in the world
Mountains and seas can all be crossed; a heart bond knows no distance
Even across thousands of rivers and miles, never met before
When souls know each other, we are close at hand
With love as the boundary, with the heart as the soil
The whole world is homeland, and there is the light of understanding souls everywhere on earth
