宿建德江 孟浩然

宿建德江   孟浩然(689-740)

移舟泊煙渚，日暮客愁新。

野曠天低樹，江清月近人。

Putting Up at River Jiande        Meng Haoran (689-740)

At the misty ait at River Jiande I moor my boat,

At dusk in the dumps I fall,

In the desolate empty wide spreading wilds the sky seems to have fallen so low that even the trees are subsided and dwindled,

The moonlight on the hyaline river waters looks especially close and genial.

宿桐廬江寄廣陵舊遊 孟浩然

宿桐廬江寄廣陵舊遊    孟浩然 (689-740)

山暝聽猿愁，滄江急夜流。
風鳴兩岸葉，月照一孤舟。
建德非吾土，維揚憶舊遊。
還將兩行淚，遙寄海西頭。

To My Old Pals in Guangling While Putting Up

at the Donglu River            Meng Haoran (689-740)

At dusk amidst the mountains I listen to the ape wails,

Rapidly the river raves as night falls,
Leaves on the banks rattle amidst the gale,
The moon shines on my solitary boat,
Jiande is not my homeland pale,
Weiyang reminds me of my old pals,
Totally unsettled by my doles,
Remotely my running tears I could only post,
To you in Guangling at the sea’s end of the westmost.

秦中寄遠上人 孟浩然

秦中寄遠上人      孟浩然 (689-740)
一丘常欲臥，三徑苦無資。
北土非吾願，東林懷我師。
黃金燃桂盡，壯志逐年衰。
日夕涼風至，聞蟬但益悲。

To Monk Sublimate From Qin Zhong       
Meng Haoran (689-740)

Planning to lay in reclusion amidst a knoll,

Reaching there I lack the money to build three through trails,
To go further north is beyond my will,
Here I can always think of my mentor by the East Woods Temple,
My money has all gone with my costly livelihood,
Growing old my ambitions turn frail,
Bathing in the cool breeze as dusk falls,
Cicadas have my sorrows further ruffled.

 

 

歲暮歸南山 孟浩然

歲暮歸南山       孟浩然 (689-740)
北闕休上書，南山歸敝廬。
不才明主棄，多病故人疏。
白髮催年老，青陽逼歲除。
永懷愁不寐，松月夜窗虛。

Back to Mt. Zhongnan at Year End       
Meng Haoran (689-740)

Present no more memorials in the Capital,

Back to my old bower at Mt. Zhongnan I recoil,
A man of no merits is renounced by His Sage Lord Imperial,
He who lays up in his ailing bed is alienated even by his old pals,
My hoar hair hurries me into years senile,
The approaching new vernal season is pressing to make its call,
Sleeplessly I lie plagued by unrelenting dismals,
Only the moon over the pines comes through the casement obligingly to have me consoled.

 

過故人莊 孟浩然

過故人莊     孟浩然 (689-740)
故人具雞黍，邀我至田家。
綠樹村邊合，青山郭外斜。
開軒面場圃，把酒話桑麻。
待到重陽日，還來就菊花。

Calling at My Old Fellow’s Farmhouse      

Meng Haoran (689-740)

Slaughtering chickens to go with the millet for a meal,

Inviting me to his farmhouse my friend has me regaled,
Green trees around the village circle,
Beyond the fields verdant mountains straddle,
Outside the casements lay the farms for vegetables,
Over a cup of wine we coze on the life of a farming household,
Pledging till the Double Yang Festival,
For the chrysanthemums I’ll again make my call.

 

 

 

留別王維 孟浩然

留別王維   孟浩然 (689-740)
寂寂竟何待，朝朝空自歸。
欲尋芳草去，惜與故人違。
當路誰相假，知音世所稀。
衹應守寂寞，還掩故園扉。

An Unwilling Farewell to Wang Wei     

Meng Haoran (689-740)

Silently silently I wait to no avail,

Day in day out with nothing I recoil,
Looking for the green green grass ambrosial,
What a shame I’m still going to lose my old pal,
To offer our services to the court and country who in power could be of avail,
Confidant kindreds are really rare in the world,
Behind my closed wicker door where I lie low,
I’d better guard over my solitude in tranquil.

 

秋宵月下有懷 孟浩然

秋宵月下有懷      孟浩然(689-740)

秋空明月懸，光彩露沾濕。
驚鵲棲未定，飛螢捲簾入。
庭槐寒影疏，鄰杵夜聲急。
佳期曠何許！望望空佇立 。

Thinking of Someone under the Mid Autumn Moon   

Meng Haoran (689-740)

High in the autumnal heaven the bright moon dangles,
On the glittering dews her brilliant glamour sparkles,
By its brightness the birds are startled in their nestles,
Through the rolled up portieres fireflies approach,
The divested pagoda tree stands amidst the chills with a checkered shadow,
Laundry hustle and bustle come from the neighborhood as night falls,
When will be our rendezvous?
Vainly vainly I stand and gaze to no avail.

夜歸鹿門山歌 孟浩然

夜歸鹿門山歌      孟浩然(689-740)

山寺鐘鳴晝已昏，漁梁渡頭爭渡喧。
人隨沙路向江姑，余亦乘舟歸鹿門。
鹿門月照開煙樹，忽到龐公棲隱處。
岩扉松徑長寂寥，惟有幽人自來去。

Returning to Stag Gate Mountain at Night     

Meng Haoran (689-740)

Dusk falls as the temple bells toll,

People vying for boats at the jetties of Yu and Liang arouse clamorous broils,
After getting across along the sandy shore to the river village they stroll,
Back to the Stag Gate Mountain I get on a boat,
There the moon hangs shining on trees mists enshrouded,
Presently I come to where the revered guru Pang dwells,
It can only be reached through a rock gate and a long pine shaded trail,
So it remains placidly tranquil,
Only insouciant people like me find this place a repair diurnal.

 

宴梅道士山房 孟浩然

宴梅道士山房       孟浩然 (689-740)
林臥愁春盡，搴帷覽物華。
忽逢青鳥使，邀入赤松家。
金灶初開火，仙桃正發花。
童顏若可駐，何惜醉流霞。

A Feast at Taoist Monk Mei’s Hill Bower      

Meng Haoran (689-740)

Laying up in the woods I ‘m vexed that spring is soon to expire,

To savour the scenery I raise my portieres,
Presently comes the green bird the supernal’s messenger,
Inviting me to the Red Pine Master’s bower,
His alchemistic stove is just stoking fire,
Celestial peach blossoms there are bursting into flowers,
If a childhood countenance can really be preserved forever,
Why not quaff the Fluid Glow the supernal’s liquor.

 

 

與諸子登峴山 孟浩然

與諸子登峴山    孟浩然 (689-740)
人事有代謝，往來成古今。
江山留勝跡，我輩復登臨。
水落魚梁淺，天寒夢澤深。
羊公碑尚在，讀罷淚沾巾。

Mounting Mt Yan with My Friends        
Meng Haoran (689-740)

Generations come and go,

That makes our history from of old,
All over our landscape there leaves many a remarkable memorial,
These are the places we can mount to pay our tribute of awe,
When tide ebbs water is shallow within the fish pond mole,
When it turns chilly water runs deep in the Cloudy Dream Pool,
The stone plaque commemorating Lord Yang Hu of Jin is still here standing to extol,
Reading it my tears have my scarf soaked through.

 

 

宿業師山房待丁大不至 孟浩然

宿業師山房待丁大不至    孟浩然 (689-740)

夕陽度西嶺，群壑倏已暝。

松月生夜涼，風泉滿清聽。
樵人歸盡欲，煙鳥栖初定。
之子期宿來，孤琴候蘿徑。

At My Mentor’s Hillside Lodging Waiting For Ding Dai Who Has Not Turned Up                               Meng Haoran (689-740)
Over the west mountain range the sun goes,
Presently the hills and ravines turn gloomily dismal,
Moonlight over the pines brings drifts of night cool,
Spring splutters borne on the breeze have my ears pleasantly thrilled,
Woodcutters are all returning from the hills,
Coming back amidst the mists are the birds to their nestles,
My friend is supposed to join me here for the night to repose,
Solitarily I play my zither waiting for him on the creeper strewn trail.

夏日南亭懷辛大 孟浩然

夏日南亭懷辛大     孟浩然(689-740)

山光忽西落，池月漸東上。散髮乘夕涼，開軒臥閒敞。

荷風送香氣，竹露滴清響。欲取鳴琴彈，恨無知音賞。

感此懷故人，中宵勞夢想。

Thinking of Xin Dai in the South Pavilion in Summer  
Meng Haoran (689-740)

Presently the glow amidst the mountains away to the west fades,

From the east moonlight in the pond slowly raises,

Letting down my hair I relish the cool towards fall of day,

By the open casements of my study insouciantly I laze,

Amidst the zephyr whiffs of lotus blossoms wave,

Dripping dews from bamboos coming in clear splutters all the way,

How much I’d like to get my zither and play,

But what a great shame no one knows what the zither conveys,

For this my old friend I desiderate,

So much so that seeing him in my midnight dreams I should crave.

 

秋登蘭山寄張五 孟浩然

秋登蘭山寄張五    孟浩然(689-740)

北山白云里，隱者自怡悅。相望始登高，心隨雁飛滅。

愁因薄暮起，興是清秋發。時見歸村人，沙行渡頭歇。

天邊樹若薺，江畔洲如月。何當載酒來，共醉重陽節。

To Zhang Wu While Mounting the Orchid Mountain in
Autumn                        Meng Haoran (689-740)

On the mountain rising into the white clouds the northern peak I behold,
This is exactly where a recluse like you in insouciant pleasure dwell,
Thinking of you I climb up here hopefully to find you within my eyeful,
My heart flies with the wild geese over and vanishes into where you lay up in recluse,
Melancholy surges in me as dusk grows,
But my gadding pleasure comes at early fall,
Up here I can see villagers recoil,
On the sand they stroll,
By the jetty they lull,
On the mountain the distant trees seem like wild vegetables,
And the ait by the river looks like a moon on a small scale,
Some day we must bring wine over as well,
Drink here to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival.

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.

 

 

臨洞庭上張丞相 孟浩然

臨洞庭上張丞相      孟浩然(689-740)

八月湖水平，涵虛混太清，  

氣蒸雲夢澤，波撼岳陽城。  
欲濟無舟楫，端居恥聖明，  
坐觀垂釣者，徒有羡魚情。  

A Poem Presented to Chancellor Zhang While Gallivanting at Lake Dongting             MengHaoran(689-740)

The eighth month flushes the lake at the flood with brimming waters,

Its diaphanous glamour merges high up with the azure ether,
Over the Cloud Pool and Dream Pool Rivers brumous vapours hover,
On the Yue Yang city wall billows batter,
With no boat I can hardly cruise on the lake waters,
I would have eclipsed His Majesty’s sageship if I still idle in retire,
It’s futile idling to admire the angler,
Catching the fish with one’s own hands one should hanker.

 

 

訪袁拾遺不遇 孟浩然

訪袁拾遺不遇        孟浩然(689-740)

洛陽訪才子，江嶺作流人。

聞說梅花早，何如此地春。

Visiting Remembrancer Yuan In Vain     
Meng Haoran (689-740)  

Hoping to visit the bard in Luoyang but to no avail,

To the Daiyu Range in Jiangxi my versatile friend has been exiled,
There spring comes early so plum blossoms blow ahead of usual,
But how can the vernal scenes there be compared to the spring of our homeland in its enchanting appeals.

 

 

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.

 

春曉 孟浩然

春曉      孟浩然 (689-740)

春眠不覺曉，處處聞啼鳥。
夜來風雨聲，花落知多少？

Spring mornings      Meng Haoran (689-740)

Spring nights are so sweet one knows not when it dawns,
Everywhere one hears birds singing their songs,
Last night wind and rain was raging strong,
Just guess how many flowers have gone.