Translation
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Meng Haoran (689-740)
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孟浩然
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Morning Cold Above the River: Reminiscing
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早寒江上有懷
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Leaves fall from trees
as wild geese go south;
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木落
雁南渡
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The northern wind
is cold above the river.
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北風
江上寒
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The Xiang River
winds about my house
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我家
襄水曲
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As I am far away
at end of the clouds, in Chu.
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遙隔
楚雲端
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My village… this traveler
will weep until his tears run dry,
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鄉淚
客中盡
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An orphaned boat
that gazes to the end of the sky.
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孤帆
天際看
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I am asking for
a ferry bewitched, and lost—
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迷津
欲有問
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The
river is calm
and dusk flows over.
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平海
夕漫漫
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Commentary:
After
Meng Haoran left Chang’an in 729 AD, he travelled to Jimen, Luoyang. In the autumn of 730 AD, he visited
Easten Wu and the State of Yue
and wrote this lyric poem. Meng portrayed a cold and desolate morning. The
drifting feeling gripped him and made him miss his hometown.
Meng Haoran left Chang’an in 729 AD, he travelled to Jimen, Luoyang. In the autumn of 730 AD, he visited
Easten Wu and the State of Yue
and wrote this lyric poem. Meng portrayed a cold and desolate morning. The
drifting feeling gripped him and made him miss his hometown.
Literally,
the first verse says “trees fall,” which is a poetic way of saying that leaves
fall from the trees. Meng is staying in an area that used to be the ancient
State of Chu, far away from his home village, “at the end of the clouds” (over
the horizon). “My village” refers to his native town. “A ferry bewitched”
alludes to a story about Confucius when he encountered some farmers and asked
about a ferry; they responded by asking him why he is concerned with official
business when he should retire into seclusion like them.
the first verse says “trees fall,” which is a poetic way of saying that leaves
fall from the trees. Meng is staying in an area that used to be the ancient
State of Chu, far away from his home village, “at the end of the clouds” (over
the horizon). “My village” refers to his native town. “A ferry bewitched”
alludes to a story about Confucius when he encountered some farmers and asked
about a ferry; they responded by asking him why he is concerned with official
business when he should retire into seclusion like them.
Original Chinese
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Traditional
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Simplified
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Pronunciation
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孟浩然
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孟浩然
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Mèng hào
rán |
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早寒江上有懷
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早寒江上有怀
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Zǎo hán jiāng shàng yǒu huái
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木落雁南渡，
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木落雁南渡，
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Mù
luò yàn nán dù， |
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北風江上寒。
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北风江上寒。
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Běi
fēng jiāng shàng hán。 |
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我家襄水曲，
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我家襄水曲，
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Wǒ
jiā xiāng shuǐ shàng， |
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遙隔楚雲端。
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遥隔楚云端。
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Yáo
gé chǔ yún duān。 |
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鄉淚客中盡，
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乡泪客中尽，
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Xiāng
lèi kè zhōng jìn， |
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孤帆天際看。
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孤帆天际看。
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Gū
fān tiān jì kàn。 |
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迷津欲有問，
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迷津欲有问，
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Mí
jīn yù yǒu wèn， |
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平海夕漫漫。
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平海夕漫漫。
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Píng
hǎi xī màn màn。 |
Literal Notes
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孟浩然
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Elder-brother/first Grand/great Shape/pledge=Meng
Haoran(689-740) |
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早寒江上有懷
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Morning/early cold/chilly river above have/am
missing/carry-in-bosom |
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Tree fall/drop wild-geese southward cross
[Note:
When autumn comes, leaves will fall down on the ground. But in classic Chinese literature, people may say the wood falls down (木落), or the wood and leaves fall down (木叶下). In Chinese this usage has more rhythm paints a bleak and desolate autumn atmosphere. For example, Qu Yuan wrote a verse in his famous poem, “Lady Xiang,” “the autumn breeze tenderly creates ripples on Dongting Lake and the wood and leaves slowly float down.”], [wild-geese southward cross” = wild geese fly across the river to the south in autumn.] |
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北風江上寒。
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Northern wind river above cold
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我家襄水曲，
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My house Xiang/help River/water winding/bent/crooked
[Xiang
River: Meng Haoran’s hometown is Xiangyang. A part of the Han River winds through his hometown, and this part of river is called Xiang River], [Xiang River winding = beside the winding Xiang River ] |
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遙隔楚雲端。
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Far-away separate Chu-State/clear clouds end
[Note:
Meng Haoran’s hometown, Xiangyang, was located in the ancient State of Chu. This line means that his hometown is far away in the clouds of Chu. When some place is far away, people say it is near the horizon (clouds’ end): visually it looks close to the sky. The poet Xie Tiao of the Southern Qi Dynasty had a similar verse: “Mount Chu appears in the clouds, and the caves of Wu, obscure in the woods.” |
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鄉淚客中盡，
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Village tears/weep/cry traveler in-the-midst-of run-out
[Village
tears = tears from being homesick], [traveler in-the-midst-of = in classic Chinese, means to travel or stay away from one’s hometown], [run-out = means shed all the tears. This line means that the poet shed all the tears in travel due to being homesick.] |
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孤帆天際看。
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Solitary/orphan sail/boat sky/heaven border/boundary look
[This
line can be interpreted as the poet can only gaze at his hometown from afar.] |
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迷津欲有問，
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Bewitched/lost ferry desire/want/long-for have/is
ask-about/inquire-after
[“Bewitched
ferry” is an allusion. According to The Analects of Confucius, two recluses, Changju and Jieni, were plowing in the field together. When Confucius passed by them, he sent his disciple Zilu to ask them about a ferry. Changju and Jieni did not answer the question but mocked Confucius for his obsession with an official career. They said, “The whole world is an abyss of darkness and all efforts to change it will be in vain. Why not retreat from the world and live in seclusion just like us?” Afterwards “bewitched ferry” has an implied meaning of confusion, at a loss, or adrift. A “bewitched ferry” is like a crossroads: people do not know where they should go. In Meng Haoran’s poem, “bewitched ferry” may imply that after those setbacks, Meng was also confused about whether he should continue to pursue an official career or give up his ambitions and lead a recluse life.], [desire have ask-about = wants to ask] |
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Peaceful/flat/even sea/ocean evening/night/dusk
overflow-of-water spreading
[Sea/ocean = in classical Chinese, sometimes people referred
to a river as a sea; here it refers to a river.] |