Did Walt Whitman read Chinese or have Chinese poems in translation?

 立即 利己 力及 痢疾 里挤 粒机
Lìjí lìjǐ lìjí lì jí lǐ jǐ lì jī
Immediately Selfish Force Dysentery Squeeze-in Granulator
立即Immediately Lìjí
利己SelfishLìjí lìjí
力及Force lìjí
痢疾Dysentery lì jí
里挤Squeeze in lǐ jǐ
粒机Granulator lì jī

希言自然 this xi is the hopeful xi as in xiwang希望 it's an X over 布 bu is a hand over cloth 巾
so HOPE (for justice thin finely crossed, i.e. valuable and proper, threads e.g.)  + words + self + natural is the first line
To ME it says "hopeful words as nature accords"  i.e. speak naturally and well.


塞下曲
塞下曲六首
其一
五月天山，无花只有寒。 Month: May. Sky-mountain:* snow, no flowers only cold.
笛中闻折柳，春色未曾看。 Pipes Amidst Bent Willows, Spring Colors: not yet seen.
晓战随金鼓，宵眠抱玉鞍。 The twisting light of war follows the metal drum, signeted** saddle
愿将腰下剑，直为斩楼兰。
Willing to bring down the sword hanging at the waist, in order to cut down the Uighurs***

Tianshan is both the name of the mountain and means "sky mountain".
: was not in the original. I felt writing it like a military report would make it more comprehensible and carry the sense and style of the author Li Bai.
**in the original it says "jade". A saddle cannot be made of jade nor are saddles jade color. There is a jade color word for a shade namely huang, yellow, originally depicted a jade signet at the bearer's waist. I chose "signet" because the jade here referred to is almost certainly an imperial signet, the seal and sign of the imperial power vested in the emperor's ministers and soldiers.
***Loulan is the ancient name of the ancient tribe in what we now know as Xinjiang.

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%A1%9E%E4%B8%8B%E6%9B%B2%E5%9B%9B%E9%A6%96/14442308

其二8
饮马渡秋水，水寒风似刀。Horses drink, cross cold fall water; water cold, wind like a knife.
平沙日未没，黯黯见临洮。There is no level sand yet in sight, darkness, look at Lintao county
昔日长城战，咸言意气高。In ancient days the great wall, war, salty words, high spirits and ideas
1黄尘足今古，白骨乱蓬蒿 The yellow dust  foot now old, white bones scattered in disorder amongst the tall blades of grass.

This one may have inspired Walt Whitman "Cavalry Crossing a Ford". They are fairly similar. I have no idea if Whitman spoke Chinese.

zhao/chao朝 sunrise, rising (sun), dawn
朝[cháo]
名court; government; dynasty; an emperor's reign

动have an audience with; make a pilgrimage to; face; look

介to; towards
朝[zhāo]
名early morning; morning; day

领导人ling3dao3ren4 leader (of a country) 领导 ling3dao3 boss
举行ju3xing2 raise+crossroads=lead, hold,
视频峰会 shi2pin4 video feng1hui4 summit
雇主 gu2zhu3 employer

晚安wan3an1  evening+good=good evening

初次chu1ci4 first time
彼此bi3ci3 each other xiangdui相对
联系lian2xi4 contact+system=contact
相遇xiang1yu lit. mutual+encounter = run into, came across
好感hao3gan4 have (good) feelings for someone
害羞 hai2xiu4 shyly    
严肃 yan2su4 strictly+?=serious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJP3MOncSCI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJP3MOncSCI