入直 周必大

入直      周必大 (1126-1204)

綠槐夾道集昏鴉，   敕使傳宣坐賜茶。  

歸到玉堂清不寐，   月鉤初上紫薇花。  

On Duty in the Forbidden Inner City       Zhou Bida (1126-1204)

Evening crows perch on the green pagoda trees flanking the road,

Summoned to be on duty in the Forbidden Inner Palace I am granted a cup of
tea for guests regal,
Back in my office in the Imperial Academy I feel highly mettled,
So I savour the sickle moon right over the myrtles.

山居夏日 高駢

山居夏日         高駢(唐)

綠樹陰濃夏日長， 樓臺倒影入池塘。  

水晶簾動微風起， 滿架薔薇一院香。  

A Summer Day in My Hill Lodging           Gao Pian (Tang Poet)

Summer days are long amidst shades of dense foliage,

In the pond reflections of the house and pavilion are portrayed,
With the zephyr the crystal portieres wave,
Roses on the trellis have infused the garden with whiffs of fragrance.

 

 

晚樓閒坐 王安石

晚樓閒坐      王安石(1021-1086)

四顧山光接水光，憑欄十里芰荷香。  

清風明月無人管，并作南來一味涼。  

Sitting in Insouciance on the Tower in the Vesper   

Wang Anshi (1021-1086)

Looking around, splendour of the mountains and waters come to me in holds,

Leaning on the balustrade whiffs of caltrop and water lily come through ten miles of pools,
Over the bright moon and the zephyr nobody rules,
They come graciously together in drafts of cool.

 

有約 司馬光

有約       司馬光 (1019-1086)

黃梅時節家家雨，   青草池塘處處蛙。  

有約不來過夜半，   閒敲棋子落燈花。  

A Date with a Friend       Sima Guang (1019-1086) 

When the plums are ripening it keeps raining all the days,

On the green green grasses and in the ponds frogs are everywhere all over the place,
It’s already midnight my friend seems to have missed our date,
Idling I delve into different chess game plots till the candle burns away.

 

初夏睡起 楊萬里

初夏睡起     楊萬里(1127-1206)

梅子流酸濺齒牙， 芭蕉分綠上窗紗。  

日長睡起無情思， 閑看兒童捉柳花。

Awaking from My Afternoon Nap in Early Summer      

Yang Wanli (1127-1206)

The plums I‘ve had still make my teeth sour,

A salient green shadow the plantains print on my casement portiere,
Awaking from my afternoon nap I find myself in ill humour,
Watching children chasing the willow down I idle away the hours.

 

村莊即事 范成大

村莊即事    范成大 (1126-1193)

綠遍山原白滿川，   子規聲裡雨如煙。  

鄉村四月閒人少，   纔了蠶桑又插田

A Snapshot of a Village       Fan Chengdai (1126-1193)

Verdure spreads all over the mountains and meadows while river waters glowing with sparkles,
Amidst mizzles cuckoos warble,
The village in the fourth month condones no one idle,
After hustle and bustle with the silkworms in sowing and planting women help in the toil and moil.

 

烏衣巷 劉禹錫

烏衣巷         劉禹錫(772-842)

朱雀橋邊野草花，烏衣巷口夕陽斜。  

舊時王謝堂前燕，飛入尋常百姓家。  

The Black Array Alley      Liu Yuxi (772-842)

By the Vermillion Birds Bridge there teems with wild grasses and blows,

On the Black Array Alley the setting sun glows,
The swallows that used to nestle in the halls of the high and powerful,
Have now moved their nests into the ordinary households