花非花 白居易

花非花     白居易 (772-846)

花非花 ，霧非霧。 夜半來， 天明去。

來如春夢幾多時？ 去似朝雲無覓處。

Flowers An’t Flowers?       Bai Juyi (772-846)

As enchanting as flowers,

But that is not what they are,
Nor they the divine Lady Star from the ether,
Just because they show up only deep in the vesper,
At daybreak they all disappear,
As ethereal as dream rendezvous they pass over,
And untraceable as dispersed morning nebula.

 

 

題西林壁 蘇軾

題西林壁         蘇軾 (1037-1101)

橫看成嶺側成峰，遠近高低各不同。
不識廬山真面目，只緣身在此山中。

A Poem Written on the Wall of the Xilin Temple        

Su Shi (1037-1101)

A sprawling mountain range or just a singular peak rising from the ground level?

It depends on whence you espy and from what angle,
The real look of Lu Shan you may never know,
Since all along within the mountain you lull.

 

長寧公主東莊侍宴 李嶠

長寧公主東莊侍宴       李嶠(644-713)

別業臨青甸，鳴鑾降紫霄，

長筵鵷鷺集，仙管鳳凰調。
樹接南山近，煙含北渚遙，
承恩咸已醉，戀賞未還鑣。

Attending on Princess Changning at a Feast in

Her East Villa                                Li Qiao (644-713)

Adjacent to the east suburbs of the Capital lies the Princess’s villa,

His Majesty’s carriage descends from amidst the purple ether,
Attending along the long long feast table are the prominent courtiers,
Like heavenly phoenixes singing the imperial music blares,
From Mt. Zhongnan comes the foliage adjacent to the villa,
To the north aits the brumes from here spreading thither over,
In His Majesty’s grace already drunk are the attending courtiers,
But His Majesty and the Queen are still savouring the sceneries and yet to retire.

 

　

　

蓬萊三殿侍宴奉敕詠終南山 杜審言

蓬萊三殿侍宴奉敕詠終南山     杜審言(645-708)

北斗掛城邊，南山倚殿前，

雲標金闕迥，樹杪玉堂懸。
半嶺通佳氣，中峰繞瑞煙，
小臣持獻壽，長此戴堯天。

Writing a Poem on Mt. Zhongnan on Imperial Instruction While Attending on the Emperor in a Feast in the Three Palaces of Penglai                                    Du Shenyan (645-708)

The Polar Star hangs high by the side of the Capital,

Right in front of the Palace Mt. Zhongnan straddles,
Amidst clouds and mizzles the golden palace rambles,
From tree tops the grand palace hall dangles,
Around the waist of the mountain propitious fumes prevail,
Over the peak auspicious diaphanous brumes always shroud,
This humble official would hail,
May His Majesty live as long as Mt. Zhongnan to the eternal.

 

 

 

題松汀驛 張祐

題松汀驛        張祐(792-852)

山色遠含空，蒼茫澤國東，

海明先見日，江白迥聞風。
鳥道高原去，人煙小徑通，
那知舊遺逸，不在五湖中。

The Song Ting Stage Station      Zhang You (792-852)

The mountain merges into the same hue with the boundless ether,

Hazily and brumously it lies to the east of the aquatic frontiers,　
Over the bright sea waters one can first see the clear sun afore,
Over the hyaline river waters one can hear the raving wind from afar,
Through a small trail the plateau can be crossed over,
By a small path one can avoid the densely populated areas,
What a shame the recluse friend I’ve been after,
He is no longer living there.

 

上元應制 蔡襄

上元應制       蔡襄 (1012-1067)

高列千峰寶炬森，端門方喜翠華臨。 

宸遊不為三元夜，樂事還同萬眾心。 
天上清光留此夕，人間和氣閣春陰。 
要知盡慶華封祝，四十餘年惠愛深。

A Poem on the Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth of the First Month on the Emperor’s Order                   Cai Xiang (1012-1067)

Overlooking the myriad lanterns are thousands and thousands of pinnacles,

The regal carriage has arrived at the south gate of the Capital,
His Majesty’s patronage is not for celebrating the Lantern Festival,
Here He comes solely to share the festivity with His people,
For the same noble reason the bright moon in heaven stalls,
With amicability and felicity on earth even vernal splendors stay on hold,
People celebrating the festival with the Emperor’s blessedness and longevity to hail,
For these forty more years of benevolence on them He has bestowed.

 

 

 

上元應制 王淇

上元應制        王淇(宋)

雪消華月滿仙臺，萬燭當樓寶扇開。

雙鳳雲中扶輦下，六鰲海上駕山來。  
鎬京春酒霑周宴，汾水秋風陋漢才。  
一曲昇平人盡樂，君王又進紫霞杯。 

A Poem on the Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth of the First Month on the Emperor’s Order                    Wang Qi (Song Poet)

The bright moon is splandant on the heavenly terrace as the snow melts away,

Amidst myriad lanterns to the fore of the towers the Emperor’s fans wave,
From the clouds phoenixes escort the Emperor’s carriage down its way,
Six giant fish arrive bearing mountains of lanterns for His Majesty’s parade,
A banquet as gorgeous and convivial as that the Emperor of Zhou gave,
Talent and flair of those who escorted Emperor Wu of Han on the same occasion lagged far behind back in the old days,
People chanting panegyrics with His Majesty to hail,
To that the Emperor drinks gleefully from his goblet of Regal Purple Haze.

 

 

 

寒食 趙元鎮

寒食     趙元鎮(宋)

寂寂柴門村落裡，也教插柳紀年華。  

禁煙不到粵人國，上塚亦攜龐老家。  
漢寢唐陵無麥飯，山谿野徑有梨花。
一樽竟藉青苔臥，莫管城頭奏暮笳。  

The Cold Meals Festival        Zhao Yuanzhen (Song Poet)

Even in desolate villages on their wicker doors,

To mark the arrival of festivals people put up willow wickers,
The Cold Meals Festival customs are not observed in the southmost province within the empire,
But like the Pangs of Han, the whole family still go visit the graves of their ancestors,
Even in the Imperial Tombs of the Han and Tang emperors, malt rice is no more offered de rigueur,
Only the vales and the wild trails are teeming with pale white pear flowers,
I’d rather get drunk and lie on the green moss bolster,
Leaving behind the distant evening tartar pipes and bugles from the city wall out of my cares.

答丁元珍 歐陽修

答丁元珍          歐陽修  (1007-1072)

春風疑不到天涯，二月山城未見花。  

殘雪壓枝猶有橘，凍雷驚筍欲抽芽。  
夜聞啼雁生鄉思，病入新年感物華。  
曾是洛陽花下客，野芳雖晚不須嗟。  

Answering Ding Yuanzhen         Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072)

Beyond end of world one finds no vernal zephyr,

In the second month the mountain city as yet boasts no flowers,
Under melting snow tangerines still prosper,
Bamboo shoots begin to burst out being awakened by chilly thunders,
I am plunged into gnawing nostalgia by midnight wild geese whimpers,
Changing seasonal sceneries shove my ailing persona into the new year,
We have both been prominent Luoyang flowers,
For being just passing wild flowers now we should harbor no rancor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

侍宴 沈佺期

侍宴     沈佺期  (?-729)

皇家貴主好神仙，別業初開雲漢邊。

山出盡如鳴鳳嶺，池成不讓飲龍川。  
妝樓翠幌教春住，舞閣金鋪借日懸。  
侍從乘輿來此地，稱觴獻壽樂鈞天。  

Attending on the Emperor in the Regal Banquet    

Shen Quanqi (?-729)

Her Royal Highness the Princess has a habit of worshipping the supernals,

By the Galaxy she has her new villa installed,
There the mountain struts out like the Shanxi Singing Phoenix Pinnacle,
The Drinking Dragon River can hardly be compared to the glamorous waters of its magnificent pool,
The green portieres of her boudoir manage to maintain all splendours vernal,
The golden tinsels of her Dancing Chamber keep hold of the sun’s glow,
His Majesty’s carriage arrives amidst his retinue file,
With the music everybody drink heartily with His Majesty’s blessedness to hail.

 

 

 

 

和賈舍人早朝 王維

和賈舍人早朝             王維  (701-761)

絳幘雞人報曉籌，  尚衣方進翠雲裘。 

九天閶闔開宮殿，  萬國衣冠拜冕旒。 
日色纔臨仙掌動，  香煙欲傍袞龍浮。 
朝罷須裁五色詔，  佩聲歸到鳳池頭。

Echoing Chancellery Secretary Jia Zhi’s Poem on Morning Levee                                            Wang Wei (701-761)

Dawn is ushered in by red scarf muffled callers and night watch beaters,

Robe featuring emerald cloud patterns are readied by regal array officers,
The myriad gates in the nine fold palaces are open all together,
Officials from all quarters of the Empire salute the Emperor,
As sunlight befalls imperial fans waver,
Whirling round the Emperor’s dragon robe regal incense hovers,
As the levee closes five coloured jute paper has to be prepared for the Chancellery ministers,
Whence the dingles of their donned swords fade out with the recoil of the chancellors.

 

 

和賈舍人早朝 岑參

和賈舍人早朝          岑參 (715-770)

雞鳴紫陌曙光寒， 鶯囀皇州春色闌。 

金闕曉鐘開萬戶， 玉階仙仗擁千官。
花迎劍佩星初落， 柳拂旌旗露未乾。 
獨有鳳凰池上客， 陽春一曲和皆難。 

Echoing Chancellery Secretary Jia Zhi’s Poem on Morning Levee 

Cen Shen (715-770)

Amidst cock crows dawn befalls on the grand passage Royal Purple with chills,

Trailing oriole twitters vernal glamour is fading away in the Capital,
The myriad palaces gates open on morning bell tolls,
In front of the jade steps the imperial ceremony parade presents the thousand levee officials,
Scents of flowers around the officials’ donned swords whirl as morning stars start to fall,
Dews on the floor are yet to dry while regal banners flutter with weeping willows,
Poems concocted by the selected officials serving in the Chancellery teem with verve sublime and suave,
Like most adored musical tunes from of old they are literally unmatchable.

 

 

 

 

和賈舍人早朝 杜甫

和賈舍人早朝         杜甫  (712-770)

五夜漏聲催曉箭，九重春色醉仙桃。  

旌旗日暖龍蛇動，宮殿風微燕雀高。
朝罷香煙攜滿袖，詩成珠玉在揮毫。  
欲知世掌絲綸美，池上於今有鳳毛。  

Echoing Chancellery Secretary Jia Zhi’s Poem on Morning Levee                                                    Du Fu (712-770)

As the clepsydra ticks out the watch final,
Dawn whizzes in like a flying arrow,
The Emperor’s countenance emerges from the nine fold palace as gracefully as an intoxicating heavenly vernal peach blow,
Imperial banners like dragons and serpents flutter under the bright sun’s glow,
Palatial birds soar high amidst the zephyr whiffles,
Everybody leave the levee with regal incense smell all over their clothes,
Having presented poems teeming with gems of pearls and jades under their great literary flair of elan vital,
Who could succeed generations to generations to serve in the Imperial Edict’s Court on call,
This rarity is evinced by the only phoenix feather now prevailing over Phoenix Pool.

 

 

 

早朝大明宮 賈至

早朝大明宮           賈至 (718-770)

銀燭朝天紫陌長，禁城春色曉蒼蒼。  

千條弱柳垂青鎖，百囀流鶯繞建章。  
劍佩聲隨玉墀步，衣冠身惹御爐香。  
共沐恩波鳳池上，朝朝染翰侍君王。  

Morning Levee in the Grand Brightness Palace     
Jia Zhi (718-770)

Bearing the silver moonlight I come to the levee through the long grand passage Royal Purple,

Dawn tints the Forbidden City with a layer of dark vernal emerald,
Over the Green Florid Palace flutter myriad weeping willows,
Around the Jianzhang Palace twitter hundreds of orioles,
Over the jade steps come sword and jade dingles,
Everybody is redolent of regal incense hail
Basking in His Majesty’s grace in the Phoenix Pool,
With brush in hand ready to serve on His Majesty’s call.