Wandering to a New Town Li Shunxian (~ 910) Life’s carriage takes me quick to heaven’s light,But here I pause to part this world of dust;Alone, afraid, pursuing dreams of flight,Yet here I’m old with dread, and leave I must. Chinese 隨駕遊青城李舜弦 因隨八馬上仙山頓隔塵埃物象閑隻恐西追王母宴卻憂難得到人間 Pronunciation Suí Jià Yóu Qīng ChéngLǐ …
Read MoreMidnight Song 2
Midnight Song 2 Xiao Yan, Emperor Wu of Liang (464-549) The morning sunshine strokes the window silkAs wind and light together play with strings;She smiles with subtle ease and lifts her eyesAs when a butterfly brings up its wings. Chinese 子夜歌 二蕭衍 朝日照綺窗光風動紈羅巧笑蒨兩犀美目揚雙蛾 Pronunciation Zǐ Yè Gē ÈrXiāo Yǎn Zhāo …
Read MoreCold Meal Night
Cold Meal Night Cui Daorong (~895) In Manchu land the pears now blossom whiteAs moonlight broken by the blowing wind.Here all the people fast for Cold Meal Night;I gaze at home alone—cast off and thin. Chinese 寒食夜崔道融 滿地梨花白風吹碎月明大家寒食夜獨貯望鄉情 Pronunciation Hán Shí YèCuī Dàoróng Mǎn dì lí huā báiFēng chuī suì …
Read MoreA Nightly Song
A Nightly Song Shen Yue (441-513) I leave the door ajar for you to comeBut every night we part before it’s bright;The moonlight shines across my pillowcaseTo hide in bed between the lantern’s light. Chinese 夜夜曲瀋約 北鬥闌幹去夜夜心獨傷月輝橫射枕燈光半隱床 Pronunciation Yè Yè QūShěn Yuē Běi dǒu lán gān qùYè yè xīn dú …
Read MoreFarewell to Meng Haoran
My dear old friend who’s parting WestBeneath the Yellow Towers;While falling on the Yangzhou landsAre mists and springtime flowers. Your orphan boat’s a distant shade,That sails where blue skies go;I look upon the water tides—Until the end they flow. By Li Bai, tr. from the Chinese by …
Read MoreFallen Flowers
This wind will weave The cry of howling thievesAs calming rain Unfolds on golden grain A thousand sheaves A million fallen leavesAnd still these plains Will fill with bamboo canes Copyright (c) 2016 by Frank Watson. Loosely translated from Lu Shiheng’s “花落.”
Read MoreAnchored at Jiande River
Meng Haoran This anchored boat’s astir in fog and breeze,As sunset rends my fears up once again,But as the sky descends beneath the trees,The river, moon, and quiet become my friends. Chinese Pronunciation 宿建德江 Sù jiàn dé jiāng 移舟泊煙渚， Yí zhōu …
Read MoreGazing at the Snow Peak of Zhongnan
Above the mountain dark and deepThe snow clouds form a floating quill;But though these woods are clear and bright,Inside the town I feel it chill. Chinese Pronunciation 終南望餘雪 Zhōng Nán Wàng Yú Xuě 終南陰嶺秀， Zhōng nán yīn lǐng xiù ， 積雪浮雲端。 …
Read MoreFarewell to Cui
229. Farewell to Cui Pei Di Traversing mountains thin and deepAnd on through hills and dales revered;For just a day you’ll be a manOf Eden, land of love and cheer. Chinese Pronunciation 送崔九 Sòng cuī jiǔ 歸山深淺去， Guī shān shēn qiǎn qù， …
Read MoreFor the Reminiscing General
The General went fore, a prisoner of war,Enchained at the enemy’s behest;But now he’s back, the dust is slack,With wine I greet my guest. We sing in verse of skies and birds,Forbidding a barrack word;With spring before, we leave the warAnd howls of night unheard. But peaceful …
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