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.

 

 

 

 

恩賜麗正殿書院賜宴應制得林字 張說

恩賜麗正殿書院賜宴應制得林字           張說(667-730)

東壁圖書府，西園翰墨林，

誦詩聞國政，講易見天心。
位竊和羹重，恩叨醉酒深，
載歌春興曲，情竭為知音。

A Poem Written on Imperial Instruction in a Feast Held by His Majesty on the Completion of the Lizheng Hall Imperial Library                                           Zhang Yue (667-730)

Corresponding to the star of culture, the East Wall Star,

To celebrate the completion of the Imperial Library in the West Garden all men of great learning gather,
From the Book of Songs poems are intoned for envision into how people fare,
The Book of Change is also delved into to mull over the universe’s enigmas,
I’ve the fortune to be entrusted by His Majesty as the Chancellor,
I am also graced by the wine He offers,
I concoct this poem on His order,
Whence exhausting all my poetic flair.

 

醉後贈張旭 高適

醉後贈張旭      高適(700-765)

世上謾相識，此翁殊不然，

興來書自聖，醉後語尤顛。
白髮老閒事，青雲在目前，
床頭一壺酒，能更幾回眠。

To Zhang Xu In My Drunkenness  　    Gao Shi (700-765)

People often boast their friends are all the world over,
But this unique gaffer cuts a conspicuous figure of a lone guzzler,
His is hailed a sage of a cursive hand calligrapher,
After he is drunk all he speaks verges on the bizarre,
With a head of hair already hoar,
He’d fancy to live in insouciant leisure,
But he loses not the grace of the Emperor,
A pot of wine is always on the head of his lair, whence he gets drunk and respires,
How many more times can he avail of that hereafter.