My new province is a land of bamboo-groves: <br />Their shoots in spring fill the valleys and hills. <br />The mountain woodman cuts an armful of them <br />And brings them down to sell at the early market. <br />Things are cheap in proportion as they are common; <br />For two farthings, I buy a whole bundle. <br />I put the shoots in a great earthen pot <br />And heat them up along with boiling rice. <br />The purple nodules broken – like an old brocade; <br />The white skin opened – like new pearls. <br />Now every day I eat them recklessly; <br />For a long time I have not touched meat. <br />All the time I was living at Lo-yang <br />They could not give me enough to suit my taste, <br />Now I can have as many shoots as I please; <br />For each breath of the south-wind makes a new bamboo<br /><br />Bai Juyi<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/eating-bamboo-shoots/
