左掖梨花 丘為

左掖梨花     丘為 (694-789)

冷艷全欺雪，餘香乍入衣。    

春風且莫定，吹向玉階飛。

Pear Blossoms To The Left Of The Palace       Qiu Wei (694-789)   

Her gelid glamour outclasses that of the snow,

Presently into the emperor’s robe her fragrance exudes and flows,
It’s hard to tell thither the vernal zephyr blows,
May it come down the steps of the court on officials like me down and low.

 

送朱大入秦 孟浩然

送朱大入秦    孟浩然 (689-740)

遊人五陵去， 寶劍值千金。   

分手脫相贈， 平生一片心。   

Seeing Zhu Da off to Qin      Meng Haoran (689-740)

To Wu Ling my friend goes,

This precious sword is worth a thousand pieces of gold,
Let me seal our friendship with this sword I am wearing to bid you farewell,
May it evince my affection for you from my soul.

 

望海潮 柳永

望海潮           柳永 (宋)  

東南形勝，三吳都會，錢塘自古繁華。

煙柳畫橋，風帘翠幕，參差十萬人家。
雲樹繞堤沙。怒濤捲霜雪，天塹無涯。
市列珠璣，戶盈羅綺、競豪奢。
重湖疊巘清嘉。有三秋桂子，十里荷花。
羌管弄晴，菱歌泛夜，嬉嬉釣叟蓮娃。
千騎擁高牙，乘醉聽簫鼓，吟賞煙霞。
異日圖將好景，歸去鳳池誇。

Wang Hai Chao        Liu Yong (Song Poet)

In the south-east she is topographically favoured,

With transport easy and unhampered,
Qiantang (Hangzhou) has been from of old the metropolitan of the Three Wu areas,
Over the exquisitely adorned bridges the mist enshrouded willows flutter,
Flapping in the wind are numerous verdant portieres,
Undulant are the tens of thousands of household quarters and manors,
Cloudscape tree tops line the banks and shores,
Billows hurling up heaps of snowdrifts in the air,
The natural river gully extends endlessly afar,
Markets strewn with jewelley and bijouteries,
Making a parade of their silk and brocade every home vies to show off their sumptuousness and splendor,
The three folded West Lake with her numerous enchanting mountain ranges and sierras,
Teeming with fascinating scented autumnal osmanthus flowers,
And whiffs of lotus spreading miles afar,
On fine days flute music everywhere makes the day seem much brighter,
Songs from water caltrop pickers through the night make a delight of the vesper,
The fishermen with hoar hair,
And the teenage lotus seed girl pickers,
All chime in to paint this picture with viridity and glomour,
Here comes the intoxicated Governor,
Flaunting his official standard by a thousand escorting riders,
Joining everybody with the fantastic music and scenery to savour,
Hoping to bring back to the court how ravishing Hangzhou is one day he has an audience with the Emperor.

 

 

 

 

秋日湖上 薛瑩

秋日湖上    薛瑩 (唐)

落日五湖遊，煙波處處愁。    

浮沉千古事，誰與問東流。

On the Five Lakes in an Autumn Day   
Xue Ying (Tang Poet)     

Relishing the scenery of the Five Lakes while the sun is going away,
Melancholy looms large everywhere over the hazy waves,
Long long past are the valorous feats of the kingdoms of the old days,
With the tide to the east they had already for ages raved.

 

 

長安秋望 趙嘏

長安秋望       趙嘏 (806-853)

雲物凄涼拂曙流，漢家宮闕動高秋。  

殘星幾點雁橫塞，長笛一聲人倚樓。   
紫豔半開籬菊靜，紅衣落盡渚蓮愁。   
鱸魚正美不歸去，空戴南冠學楚囚

Autumnal Reflections in Chang’an     Zhao Gu (806-853)

Autumnal sceneries are gloomy and bruising with thin clouds shrouding over the office chambers,

The imperial palaces rise high into the autumnal ether,
Incoming wayfaring wild geese from the north fleet against stalling morning stars,
Amidst a long blare of the flute I lean on high tower,
Half of the purple chrysanthemums by the fence have quietly come to flower,
Lotuses on the ait have shed their crimson array in despair,
Now the perch at this time has its best flavour,
But I am stranded here donning a southern hat like the Chu prisoner.

 

 

 

宮中題 唐文宗

宮中題      唐文宗

輦路生秋草，上林花滿枝。    

憑高何限意，無復侍臣知。

A Poem Written In the Palace        Emperor Wen Zong of Tang

Autumnal grasses flush along the imperial carriage road,
The imperial garden is teeming with enchanting blows,
High up in the palace here a fine prospect I behold,
Unstoppable emotions surge and roll,
But how would my court officials know?

伊州歌 益嘉運

伊州歌      益嘉運(唐)

打起黃鶯兒，莫教枝上啼。    

啼時驚妾夢，不得到遼西。

A Yizhou Song         Yi Jiayun (Tang Poet)    

Confound it! You damned oriole,
Stop twittering on the bough,
You’ve startled me from my dream with my husband in a rendezvous,
Whence how to the west of Liao to meet him in person could I go!

 

茅屋為秋風所破歌 杜甫

茅屋為秋風所破歌        杜甫 (712-770)

八月秋高風怒號，卷我屋上三重茅。
茅飛渡江灑江郊，高者掛罥長林梢，下者飄轉沉塘坳。

南村群童欺我老無力，忍能對面為盜賊。
公然抱茅入竹去，唇焦口燥呼不得，歸來倚杖自歎息。
俄頃風定雲墨色，秋天漠漠向昏黑。
布衾多年冷似鐵，驕兒惡臥踏裡裂。
床頭屋漏無干處，雨腳如麻未斷絕。
自經喪亂少睡眠，長夜沾濕何由徹！
安得廣廈千萬間，大庇天下寒士俱歡顏，風雨不動安如山！
嗚呼！何時眼前突兀見此屋，吾廬獨破受凍死亦足！

An Elegy on My Hovel Being Battered by the Autumnal Squalls                                                    Du Fu (712-770)

In the eighth month the autumnal sky hung high and the squalls growled,
Hurling away the three layers of creepers on my hovel,
Some of them flew with the wind over the river and scattered all over the mole,
High on trees some dangled,
Down into swamp pools some whirled,
Urchins from the south village contemning me weak and old,
Right in front of me my creepers they stole,
Into the bamboo woods with the creepers they bolted,
With stupefied lips and mouth I could not stop them even I yowled,
Back home leaning on my cane I could only bewail with dole,
Meanwhile died down the squalls,
And the clouds turned as black as coal,
The autumnal sky towards dusk was darkly veiled,
Frigid and stiff was my rugged old quilt,
My ill-sleeping son had it untimely scuttled,
In a roofless house everywhere the deluge of rain sprinkled,
Incessant rain beating on my feet through the night never quelled,
Ever since the treacherous upheaval I’ve never slept well,
Over such a long night with a drenching body how could I hold,
How could there be thousands and thousands of houses with space ample and comfortable,
Sheltering all poor scholars from the storms and squalls,
And let them live forever comfortable and stable,
Alack! If such houses emerge right in front of me in a twinkle,
Whence I die right now with a shattered hovel in gelid chills.

 

 

 

 

 

直中書省 白居易

直中書省     白居易(772-846)        

絲綸閣下文章靜，鐘鼓樓中刻漏長。  

獨坐黃昏誰是伴，紫薇花對紫薇郎。

On Duty in the Chancellery      Bai Juyi (772-846)

There is not much writing to do at the Imperial Edict Court,

From the drum tower I listen to the ticks of the water clock,
Who to keep me company as I sit in solitude under the night cloak,
What other than the myrtle blossoms vis-à-vis this myrtle official on call.

 

 

表兄話舊 竇叔向

表兄話舊    竇叔向 (唐)

夜合花開香滿庭，夜深微雨醉初醒。  

遠書珍重何由答，舊事淒涼不可聽。
去日兒童皆長大，昔年親友半凋零。  
明朝又是孤舟別，愁見河橋酒幔青。  

Reminiscence with My Cousin        Dou Shuxiang (Tang poet)

The scent of vetch-tree blossoms in the courtyard abounds,

Deep in the night amidst mizzles from my wine I’ve just come round,
I just don’t know how to reply the letter coming afar from you with your affections profound,
Things past are so dolorous that I could hardly expound,
 Children when I left home are now all adults around,
Half of the relations and friends of old are now in the burial ground,
Tomorrow leaving in your boat alone you’ll be far bound,
The blue inn-signs of the wine house by the river bridge stir my glum deep down.

新秋 杜甫

新秋        杜甫 (712-770)

火雲猶未歛奇峰，欹枕初驚一葉風。  

幾處園林蕭瑟裡，誰家砧杵寂寥中。   
蟬聲斷續悲殘月，螢燄高低照暮空。   
賦就金門期再獻，夜深搔首歎飛蓬。

Early Autumn           Du Fu (712-770)

The glowing firy cloudscape of summer has not yet had its spiky peaks leveled,

Reclining on my pillow I am startled by the rustle of leaves in the autumnal gale,
Foliage in gardens are beginning to shrivel,
Some households are busy with their laundry hustle and bustle in the tranquil,
Intermittent mournful cicada chirrs come with the moon on its heels,
Flittering fireflies bring dots of light against a dark heavenly veil,
Wishing to present my newly composed poem for His Majesty’s perusal,
Aging and decrepit, I find deep in the night my hair has already become messy hay whiffles.

 

 

    

秋思 陸游

秋思      陸游 (1125-1210)

利欲驅人萬火牛，江湖浪跡一沙鷗。  

日長似歲閒方覺，事大如天醉亦休。   
砧杵敲殘深巷月，梧桐搖落故園秋。   
欲舒老眼無高處，安得元龍百尺樓。  

Autumnal Muse       Lu You (1125-1210)

Ambitions and desires are driving people like a thousand oxen with burning tails,

I’d rather gad on the tramp like a seagull,
The summer days are as long as year for anyone idle,
Get yourself drunk and leave the world in a tumble,
Laundry clamour deep in the alleys fade away as the night dwindles,
The divesting wutong leaves flutter in the autumnal gale,
I’d like to ease my aging eyes on some place high aloft,
But where can I find the hundred foot tower of Chen Yuanlong of the Three Kingdoms ages ago.

 

 

天仙子 張先

天仙子 時爲嘉禾小倅，以病眠不赴府會      張先 (990-1078)

水調數聲持酒聽，午醉醒來愁未醒，送春春去幾時回。
臨晚鏡，傷流景，往事後期空記省。
沙上並禽池上暝，雲破月來花弄影，重重簾幕密遮燈。
風不定，人初靜，明日落紅應滿徑。

Tian Xian Zi            Zhang Xian (990-1078)

Serving as a local magistrate in Xiuzhou, I am staying away from a booze feinting unwell.

Listening to a song with wine in hand,

Awaking from the wine at noon and still hanging over my melancholy that will remain,
Until the next spring comes again,
Looking at the mirror at dusk I repent,
Frittering away my best years down the drain,
Looking forward to good days to come is just vain.
Seabirds sleep in couples on the sands,
Presently clouds disperse and the bright moon there stands,
Casting flower shadows vividly dense,
Putting down layers of portieres,
I try to cover the flickering lamp,
Deep in the night the wind still rants,
I brood whence,
By tomorrow fallen petals will strew the lane.

 

 

 

寒食 韓翃

寒食      韓翃 (736-790)

春城無處不飛花， 寒食東風御柳斜。  

日暮漢宮傳蠟燭， 輕煙散入五侯家。  

The Cold Meals Festival      Han Yi (736-790)

In spring there is no place without flying petals within the Capital,
Under the east winds of the Cold Meals Festival willows in the imperial garden tumble,
Candles are lit with new fire in the Imperial Palace as dusk falls,
Whiffs of smoke into the households of the Five Marquis float.

 

冷泉亭 林洪

冷泉亭       林洪 (宋)

一泓清可沁詩脾， 冷暖年來只自知。  

流出西湖載歌舞， 回頭不似在山時。  

The Chilly Spring Pavilion     Lin Hong (Song Poet) 

So hyaline and unpolluted is the spring that it cleanses a bard’s innards and soul,

All these years only itself knows when it will turn warm and cold,
Running into the West Lake on it singing and dancing float,
Once there it’ll never be limpid again even if it returns to its original spring of old.