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.