青溪 王維

 
青溪       王維(701-761)
言入黃花川，每逐青溪水。隨山將萬轉，趣途無百里。
聲喧亂石中，色靜深松里。漾漾泛菱荇，澄澄映葭葦。
我心素已閑，清川澹如此。請留盤石上，垂釣將已矣。

 

The Azure Rill        Wang Wei (701-761)

People going to the Yellow Flower River vicinal,

Have to follow the waters of the Azure Rill,
Through thousands of bends within the hills,
Actually crossing less than a hundred miles it reels,
In the boat one can hear against the rocks the water jangles,
Deep in the pine woods one can relish the tranquil,
Waveringly waveringly widespread caltrops and water mallows silently on the water toss and mill,
Limpidly limpidly the hyaline water beams on the reeds with sparkling glow,
I’ve always been an insouciant soul,
With water as hyaline as this Azure Rill,
I don’t mind stay fishing on the rock till
The end of my life to perpetuate my will.

 

同從弟南齋玩月憶山陰崔少府 王昌齡

同從弟南齋玩月憶山陰崔少府        王昌齡(698-756)

高臥南齋時，開帷月初吐。

清輝淡水木，演漾在窗戶。

苒苒幾盈虛，澄澄變今古。

美人清江畔，是夜越吟苦。

千里其如何，微風吹蘭杜。

Thinking of Assistant Prefect Cui of Shanyin While
Contemplating the Moon at the South Study
with My Second Cousin            Wang Changling (698-756)

At the south study I insouciantly laze,
The early moon shines through the open portiere,
On the woods and waters it sheds its clear soft mellow rays,
Through the casement the flooding light makes its way,
From of old the moon incessantly keeps its wax and wane,
How many dynasties have under its mellowy mellow light risen and faded?
A gentleman with merits now by the Qing River stays,
He must be going through the throes of concocting a lay,
What a shame we are thousands of miles away,
I could only hope the zephyr will send you the whiffs of orchid and azalea all the way.

送綦毋潛落第還鄉 王維

送綦毋潛落第還鄉            王維(701-761)

聖代無隱者，英靈盡來歸。遂令東山客，不得顧采薇。

既至金門遠，孰云吾道非？江淮度寒食，京洛縫春衣。
置酒長安道，同心與我違。行當浮桂棹，未幾拂荊扉。
遠樹帶行客，孤城當落暉。吾謀適不用，勿謂知音稀。

Seeing Qi Wuqian Off Back to His Homeland after
His Failing in the Imperial Examinations                        
Wang Wei (701-761)

There are no recluses under the sages’ rule,

Willing to serve the sovereign are all the ingenious and capable,
There are no more recluses feeding just on wild vegetables in the East Mountain as of old,
You’ve come a long way for this exam at the Hall of Gold,
Who else can again say we are unworthy people,
In the land of Huai south of the River you’ve passed the Cold Meals Festival,
You’ve your spring clothes made in Luoyang and the Capital,
Now on the Chang’an Road I’ve prepared wine to bid you farewell,
Presently this kindred friend of mine will hit his home trail,
The boat is ready to sail,
Soon you’ll be knocking at the door of your home dwell,
Distant foliage will be shrouding you all your way to salute your arrival,
The setting sun will be flushing on the solitary city wall to welcome you as well,
Your failure in this exam has deprived your chance to offer the court your flair and potentials,
But you will make good use of them one day when you meet someone who knows your are truly worthwhile.

 

 

下終南山過斛斯山人宿置酒 李白

下終南山過斛斯山人宿置酒        李白(701- 762)

暮從碧山下，山月隨人歸。卻顧所來徑，蒼蒼橫翠微。

相攜及田家，童稚開荊扉。綠竹入幽徑，青蘿拂行衣。
歡言得所憩，美酒聊共揮。長歌吟松風，曲盡河星稀。
我醉君復樂，陶然共忘機。

 

Running Into the Recluse Hu Si and Drinking and Putting Up at His Bower                         Li Bai (701- 762)

I come down from the verdurous mountain in the vesper,

The bright moon keeps me company from the mountain back together,
Looking back at the trail I come via,
Across the midst of the mountain waist a dark dark green strides over,
Running into the recluse hither,
Hand in hand we come to his farming bower,
His servant presently opens the wicker door,
Following a serene path shrouded by green bamboos we enter,
Plucking at my clothes are dense green creepers,
Relaxing and making ourselves pleasant thither in his bower,
Presently regaling me with fine wine he’s ready to offer,
Relishing at the booze together,
We sing loud and long the Song of Pine Zephyr,
Our delectation ends with the dimming of the Galaxy stars,
We both relished being on the booze of cheers,
Setting ourselves on the loose we free ourselves from the world’s intricate scheming maneuvers.

 

 

宿龍興寺 綦毋潛

宿龍興寺        綦毋潛(692-749)

香剎夜忘歸， 松清古殿扉，   

燈明方丈室， 珠繫比丘衣。
白日傳心淨， 青蓮喻法微，   
天花落不盡， 處處鳥銜飛。

Putting Up at Long Xing Temple for the Night       

Qi Wuqian(692-749)

I gallivant at Long Xing Temple till late in the day,

Zephyr amidst the pines whiffles over the ancient temple gates,
The monk-in-charge’s chamber is lit up gay,
Prayer beads hang awesomely on the monk’s cassock beaming with glaze,
As hyaline as the white sun amid the clouds their hearts sustain,
As sublime as the green lotus the quintessence of dharma conveys,
Heavenly flowers fall incessantly sprinkled by fays,
Birds fly with them between their beaks all over the place.

 

 

夏日 戴復古

夏日        戴復古(1167-1248)

乳鴨池塘水淺深，熟梅天氣半晴陰。  

東園載酒西園醉，摘盡枇杷一樹金。  

A Summer Day        Dai Fugu(1167-1248)

Ducklings swim in a pond with deeps and shallows,

When the plums are ripening the weather is fine with shady intervals,
Bringing my wine from the east garden to the west garden I drink to my fill,
Picking the goldening loquat fruits from the tree to go with my wine I revel the day to the full.

 

 

夏日 張文潛

夏日      張文潛 (1054 – 1114)

長夏江村風日清，  簷牙燕雀已生成。 

蝶衣曬粉花枝午，  蛛網添絲屋角晴。 
落落疏簾邀月影，  嘈嘈虛枕納溪聲。 
久斑兩鬢如霜雪，  直欲樵漁過此生。 

Summer Days        Zhang Wenqian (1054 – 1114)

In bright sunlight and delightful zephyr basks the river village through the long grueling summer,

Young swallows and birds have fledged in their nests under the girders,
At noon butterflies flaunt their delicate wings on sprays of flowers,
Spiders are busily mending their cobwebs in the house corners,
I invite the moon to drink together through the disjected disjected portieres,
On my pillow I relish the sputtering sputter of the running stream waters,
Having long turned grizzle my temple hair,
How much I would rather lead the life of a fisherman or woodcutter.

 

 

輞川積雨 王維

輞川積雨        王維(701-761)

積雨空林煙火遲，蒸藜炊黍餉東菑。

漠漠水田飛白鷺，陰陰夏木囀黃鸝。  
山中習靜觀朝槿，松下清齋折露葵。  
野老與人爭席罷，海鷗何事更相疑。  

Deluge of Rain in Wangchuan        Wang Wei (701-761)

Under the protracted deluge of rain the woods and fields are to a desolate destitute abraded,

Even cooking becomes difficult and cunctated,
So in cooking and sending meals to the farmers toiling in the east fields I aid,
Cutting capers over the vastly vastly spreading drenched fields white herons glide in waves,
Amid the shady shady summer woods orioles serenade,
In the hills, contemplating the hibiscus I sit as usual practising to meditate,
Under the pine tree vegetarian food like tree mallows I savour,
Having long withdrawn from the game of vying for power and grace,
Why should the seagulls doubt I have my aspiration of seclusion betrayed.

 

 

聞笛 趙嘏

聞笛     趙嘏(806-853)

誰家吹笛畫樓中，斷續聲隨斷續風。  

響遏行雲橫碧落，清和冷月到簾櫳。
興來三弄有桓子，賦就一篇懷馬融。  
曲罷不知人在否，餘音嘹喨尚飄空。  

On Hearing the Flute         Zhao Gu(806-853)

Who is playing the flute in this adorned chamber,

Amidst the fragmented gusts of wind it comes in fragmented chapters,
When it is loud and blare it lulls the clouds and thrills through the ether,
When it is crisp and mellow the chilly moon crashes through the portieres,
At the peak of its verve, Huan Yi, the flute expert of Jin is playing his three melodies in my vagary,
Ma Rong of Han seems to be writing his flute lauding verses here,
When the music is over, I brood over the whereabouts of the player,
While the enthralling music is still lingering in the air.

 

 

郊行即事 程顥

郊行即事      程顥 (1032 - 1085)

芳原綠野恣行事，春入遙山碧四圍。  

興逐亂紅穿柳巷，困臨流水坐苔磯。  
莫辭盞酒十分勸，只恐風花一片飛。
況是清明好天氣，不妨遊衍莫忘歸。  

A Picnic to the Country     Cheng Hao(1032 - 1085)

With abandon around the green plains and verdant wilds I gallivant in no haste,

The distant mountains around are all vernal verdure shaded,
On whims I chase the flittering flower petals through the willow pathways,
Tired, on the mossy rocks by the streams I laze,
Don’t ever shy from the cup of wine you being offered with good grace,
Spring will draw to its end when fallen flowers fly with the stormy gale,
Ching Ming on such a fine day should be greatly savoured,
While revelling with over abandon just don’t forget to call it a day.

 

聖果寺 釋處默

聖果寺         釋處默(唐)

路自中峰上，盤回出薜蘿，

到江吳地盡，隔岸越山多。
古木叢青靄，遙天浸白波，
下方城郭近，鐘磬雜笙歌。

The Sacred Fruit Temple              Monk Shi Chumo (Tang Poet)

From the central peak of Mt. Phoenix one embarks on the road to the temple,
Through dense creepers winds the tortuous trail,
From there one sees by the river the land of Wu ends its sprawl,
Across the river the mountains of Yue are multiple,
Ancient trees are azure brume enshrouded,
The distant sky is drenched in cloudscape of white ripples,
Beneath the temple the city wall encircles,
Music from the neighbouring households chime in the temple’s bell tolls.

 

 

送崔融 杜審言

送崔融           杜審言(645-708)

君王行出將，書記遠從征，

祖帳連河闕，軍麾動洛城。
旌旗朝朔氣，笳吹夜邊聲，
坐覺煙塵掃，秋風古北平。

Seeing Cui Rong Off to His Expedition      Du Shenyan (645-708)

Joining an expeditionary campaign on order of the Emperor,

You serve as the secretary and chief of staff to the commander,
The tents for the farewell feast extend from the City Wall to the Luoyang River,
Army banners throb the whole Luoyang City with thunders,
They set off riding on the vivacity of the north gale’s vigor,
By night they’ll arrive amidst the bugles of the borders,
Sitting in your tent you’ll witness the dust and smog of unrest wiped clear,
Amidst the autumnal gale Gubei will be totally restored.

 

 

 

清明 黃庭堅

清明       黃庭堅(1045-1105)

佳節清明桃李笑，野田荒塚只生愁。  

雷驚天地龍蛇蟄，雨足郊原草木柔。  
人乞祭餘驕妾婦，士甘焚死不公侯。  
賢愚千載知誰是，滿眼蓬蒿共一坵。  

The Ching Ming Festival          Huang Tingjian(1045-1105)

In Ching Ming peach and apricot blossoms beam with glamour,

Only the deserted graves in the wilds sulk in despair,
Hibernating creatures awake on the vernal thunders,
Drenching rains keep the country flush with floral verdure,
There are people as the dolt of Chi who flaunts his satiety in front of his wife and concubines after begging for food and wine from the well-off grave sweepers,
There are also people as sagacious as Jie Zhitui who would rather let himself be burnt to ashes than serving the contemptible rulers,
Who can tell the sage from the dolt a thousand years after,
They are just the same the sod under.

 

 

清明 高翥

清明  高翥(宋)

南北山頭多墓田，清明祭埽各紛然。

紙灰飛作白蝴蝶，淚血染成紅杜鵑。  
日落狐狸眠塚上，夜歸兒女笑燈前。  
人生有酒須當醉，一滴何曾到九泉。  

The Ching Ming Festival          Gao Zhu (Song Poet)

On the north and south of the hills there are many a grave,

Their families come paying their tribute on Ching Ming Day,
Ashes of the burnt offerings into white butterflies mutate,
Azaleas dyed red by blood tears they shed are all over the place,
On the graves foxes lie as the sun goes away,
At night children banter around the lamp before retiring for the day,
Drink to your fill if you still may,
When you die not even a drop to you in the netherworld could it make its way.

 

 

湖上 徐元杰

湖上            徐元杰(1196-1246)

花開紅樹亂鶯啼，草長平湖白鷺飛。

風日平和人意好，夕陽簫鼓幾船歸。

On the West Lake             Xu Yuanjie (1196-1246)

Orioles twitter whimsically amid trees flushing with red blows,

Over the lake teeming with tall grasses fly white herons in files,
Travellers bask in the warm sun with the soothing zephyr coming in holds,
Amidst the flush of the setting sun return the ululant fifes and drums on the garnished sight-seeing boats.