Seeing Off My Elder Brother Lu Zhaolin (634-684/686) You’ll travel home through frontier mountain roadsTo see the blooms and willows of Chang’än;But now it’s time we part our hands goodbye,To gaze in silent sorrow, and journey on. Chinese 送二兄人蜀盧照鄰 關山客子路花柳帝王城此中一分手柑顧憐無聲 Pronunciation Sòng Èr Xiōng Rén ShǔLú Zhàolín Guān shān kè …
Read MoreCrossing the Yangtze River
Crossing the Yangtze River Du Shenyan (645-708) Late afternoon, this garden grove, where ancient sorrow roams;It’s spring, but birds and blossoms too do fill the edge with dread.Alone, expelled, down south in savage lands, my homeland far—The Yangtze River water flow shows not its northern tread. …
Read MoreAt Yi River, Seeing Off a Friend
In ancient times a troubled king did send,Along this very spot, a hero bold—And though those men have drowned in time’s lost flood,These waters now are just as dark and cold. Chinese 於易水送人駱賓王 此地別燕丹壯士發衝冠昔時人已沒今日水猶寒 Pronunciation Yú Yì Shuǐ Sòng RénLuò Bīn wáng Cǐ dì bié yān dānZhuàng shì fà …
Read MoreAs We Travel There Alone
The friends we had, the friends we leftAlong the siren streetsA signal past, a thousand theftsIn red light, white light beats Oh, where can I rest in this hidden townAs wind comes whistling throughIn light and dark, as it rains down,A dancer flails there too Somewhere she …
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 …
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