題破山寺後禪院 常建

題破山寺後禪院     常建(708-765)

清晨入古寺，初日照高林，

曲徑通幽處，禪房花木深。  

山光悅鳥性，潭影空人心，

萬籟此俱寂，惟聞鐘磬音。  

The Monkery of Broke Hill Temple      Chang Jian (708-765)

At crack of dawn I enter the ancient temple,

The morning sun shines on the tall weald,

Into the serene tranquil winds a tortuous trail,

Deep in dense foliage the monkery nestles,

Birds are elated with the splendid mountain glows,

The hyaline pond cleanses one’s soul of all earthly spoils,

All sounds in the universe are frozen tranquil,

Leaving only the temple’s tolls.

送別崔著作東征 陳子昂

送別崔著作東征     陳子昂(656-695)

金天方肅殺，白露始專征，  

王師非樂戰，之子慎佳兵。

海氣侵南部，邊風掃北平，  

莫賣盧龍塞，歸邀麟閣名。  

Seeing Secretary Cui Off to the Eastern Imperial Campaign    

Chen Zi’ang(656-695)

The autumnal aura is bleak with lethalities thrill,

White Dew is the opportune time to start the campaign to have the treacherous upheavals quelled,

The Imperial Armies are not thirsty to kill,

You must take warfare with great scruple,

Our military might is formidable,

Under our armies’ devastating mettles,

Enemies to the north and south borders should be scared shriveled,

Just don’t sell out the Lu Long Pass of the borders to the devils,

Hoping to have your name be added to the chamber of the phenomenal generals.

江南旅情 祖詠

江南旅情        祖詠(唐)

楚山不可極，歸路但蕭條，  

海色晴看雨，江聲夜聽潮。  

劍留南斗近，書寄北風遙，  

為報空潭橘，無媒寄洛橋。

From My Sojourn in the River South     Zu Yong (Tang poet)  

The mountains in Chu are inaccessible,

Desolate and formidable is my home trail,

On a fine day over the diaphanous sea mizzles can be seen amidst the morning sun glow,

At night the roving river chimes in with the tide’s ebb and flow,

I’m now right under the Star of the South Pole,

Entrusting my letters home to the northern gale is just dismal,

Tangerines of Kong Tan at the moment are ripe and mellow,

But in whom could I entrust to send them back to my Luoyang household.

贈婢 崔郊

贈婢    崔郊(唐)

公子王孫逐後塵，綠珠垂淚滴羅巾。

侯門一入深如海，從此蕭郎是路人。

To the Maid       Cui Jiao (Tang poet)

Courting her hotly are numerous noblesse suitors,

The devastating belle’s grief is soaking her scarf with tears,

Once taken into a house of wealth and power she’ll be plunged in an abyss of eternal dolor,

She could only choose to treat her former lover as a total stranger.

遊山西村 陸游

遊山西村      陸游  (1125-1210)

莫笑農家臘酒渾，豐年留客足雞豚。

山重水復疑無路，柳暗花明又一村。

簫鼓追隨春社近，衣冠簡樸古風存。

從今若許閒乘月，拄杖無時夜叩門。

Gallivanting Amid the Shanxi Villages         Lu You (1125-1210)

Scoff not at the year end brew of the rural household muddled,

In a bumper year they have lots of fine chickens and pigs their visitors to regale,

Turning round and round I seem to come back to the same mountains and waters I suspect I have gone into a dead trail,

Presently another village emerges behind densely shrouding willows and fascinating blows,

Villagers follow their music band to the temple for celebrating the Harvest Festival,

Everybody dress modestly taking after the customs of old,

Henceforth if His Majesty permits insouciantly the bright moon I’d avail,

Bringing my cane and knock on their doors again at any time of the night without scruple.

宛陵錄 斐休

宛陵錄     斐休(唐)

塵勞迴脫事非常， 緊把繩頭做一場，

不是一番寒澈骨 ，怎得梅花撲鼻香。

A Poem excerpted from an Analect of Buddhist Revelations      

Fei Xiu (Tang)

Emerging from earthy shackles is an impossible mission fulfilled,

Clutching at one’s tether one has to endeavour with all efforts to have this aim sealed,

If not for her having endured the tribulations of the gelid chills,

Whence come the whiffs of fragrance of the plum blossom that have one’s nostrils enthrilled.  

玉臺觀 杜甫

玉臺觀      杜甫(712-770)

浩剎因王造，平臺訪古遊，  

綵雲蕭史駐，文字魯恭留。  

宮闕通群帝，乾坤到十洲，

人傳有笙鶴，時過北山頭。  

The Jade Terrace Temple            Du Fu (712-770)

The Prince of Teng built this grand temple,

On this terrace similar to that built by Prince Liang Xiao of Han I stroll,

Amidst the overhanging colour clouds the supernal Xiao Shi nestles,

Here the inscripted writings bear resemblance to Prince Lu Gong of Han’s original scrawl,

To the Jade Emperor of Heaven through this grand temple one can trail,

From here one could reach out to the ten oceanic fairy soils,

Over the north peak of the mountain playing their flutes on their flying cranes one often see many a supernal.

禁鎖 洪遵

禁鎖    洪遵(1120 – 1174)

禁門深鎖寂無譁，濃墨淋漓兩相麻。  

唱徹五更天未曉，一墀月浸紫薇花。  

The Forbidden Gates Under Locks          Hong Zun(1120 – 1174)

The layers of palatial gates are locked tranquil,

In thick and flush ink officials write out on jute paper edicts for the two chancellors to be installed,

Watchmen have struck the fifth watch of the night, but dawn is still beyond the threshold,

Beneath the court steps moonlight floods all over the myrtles.

詠華清宮 杜常

詠華清宮     杜常(宋)

行盡江南數千程，曉風殘月入華清。

朝元閣上西風急，都入長楊作雨聲。

 

The Hua Qing Palace            Du Chang (Song Poet)

I’ve travelled thousands of miles through the South of the River,

Amidst breeze and a setting moon at dawn the Hua Qing Palace I entered,
Over the Celestial Court the west wind blusters,
Into the Chang Yang Palace it presently hurls and turns into rain sputters.

 

 

慶全菴桃花 謝枋得

慶全菴桃花            謝枋得(1226- 1289)

尋得桃源好避秦， 桃紅又是一年春。  

花飛莫遣隨流水， 怕有漁郎來問津。  

The Peach Blossoms of Qing Quan Sanctorum         

XieFangde(1226- 1289)

Finding the Peach Blossom Fountain Haven is the best way to elude the Qin tyranny dictator,

The peach blossoms turn crimson again to usher in spring of another new year,
When blossoms fall don’t let them drift with the running water,
Lest they’d induce fishermen come with the wheresoevers of the Haven to enquire.

 

題邸間壁 鄭谷

題邸間壁       鄭谷(849-911)

酴醾香夢怯春寒，翠掩重門燕子閒。

敲斷玉釵紅燭冷，計程應說到常山。  

A Poem Written on the Wall of My Sojourn Hostel     

Zheng Gu(849-911)

The scent of the sweet rose blossoms comes into my dream amidst spring chills,

Behind the verdure enshrouded gates swallows leisurely lull,
In the midnight chills she picks off the wick of the burning candle,
Counting the days I should arrive at Chang Shan this month as scheduled.

九日藍田會飲 杜甫

九日藍田會飲          杜甫(712-770)  

老去悲秋強自寬，興來今日盡君歡。  

羞將短髮還吹帽，笑倩旁人為正冠。  
藍水遠從千澗落，玉山高並兩峰寒。  
明年此會知誰健，醉把茱萸仔細看。

A Drinking Booze on the Double Ninth Festival at the Azure Field                                      Du Fu(712-770)

An aging man, I try to free myself from my usual autumnal melancholy,

Today I’ll drink with you all to the utmost jolly,
Fearing my hat will be blown off like MengJia of Jin to have my nearly bald head revealed,
I ask someone standing by to see to it properly dwelt,
The Azure River sources from the thousand rills,
The two peaks as tall as the Azure Field are shrouded in chills,
Next year on this same occasion one will know who here remains hearty and hale,
I contemplate the cornel I am wearing after having drunken my fill

 

社日 張演

社日        張演 (唐)

鵝湖山下稻粱肥， 豚柵雞棲對掩扉。  

桑柘影斜春社散， 家家扶得醉人歸。  

The Harvest Festival       Zhang Yan (Tang)

Crops growing under the slopes of Lake Goose are ripe and mellow,

Pig sties and chicken coops have their doors closed,
Shedding a slanting flush over the mulberries as the sun goes,
Everybody returns to their household heavily loaded.

 

題義公禪房 孟浩然

題義公禪房       孟浩然(689-740)

義公習禪寂，結宇依空林，  

戶外一峰秀，階前眾壑深。  
夕陽連雨足，空翠落庭陰，  
看取蓮花淨，方知不染心。  

Master Monk Yi’s Sanctum    MengHaoran(689-740)

Practising Buddhist meditation the master

Builds his sanctum next to the desolate serene timber,
A mountain with viridity stands solitarily to the fore,
Beyond its steps run deep and hyaline waters,
The setting sun flushes on the environs imbued with ample rain water,
Brumes and mizzles enshroud the place with a diaphanous aura,
Everything is as unblemished as the holy lotus,
Evinces how much the master’s heart is free from earthly cumbers.