Tuesday, 27 January 2015

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.

 

 

 

Sunday, 25 January 2015

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.

 

 

 

Friday, 23 January 2015

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.

 

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

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.

 

 

 

Monday, 19 January 2015

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.

 

 

 

Saturday, 17 January 2015

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.

Thursday, 15 January 2015

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.