沁園春 辛棄疾

沁園春 將止酒、戒酒杯使勿近     辛棄疾(1140-1207)

杯汝來前，老子今朝，點檢形骸。
甚長年抱渴，咽如焦釜，於今喜睡，氣似奔雷。
汝說劉伶，古今達者，醉後何妨死便埋。
渾如此，歎汝於知已，真少恩哉。

更憑歌舞爲媒。算合作平居鴆毒猜。
況怨無大小，生於所愛，物無美惡，過則爲災。
與汝成言，勿留亟退，吾力猶能肆汝杯。
杯再拜，道麾之即去，招則須來。

Qin Yuan Chun            Xin Qiji (1140-1207)
Abstaining from wine I warn my wine cup to stay away from me

Cup, you come forward, that’s my order,

Having had my body checked today this gaffer,
Been thirsty for drinking all these years,
My throat is as dry as a seared boiler,
Sleeping is what I now most hanker,
And snoring like thunders,
You rebut: from of old great drinkers
Should have been as sanguine as Liu Ling,
They hold “ Never mind. If I’ve got drunk and kick the bucket,
Don’t panic. Just have me sepulchered,”
You are damned right, my bosom dear,
But how relentless you are.

With music and dance you always come near,

Literally killing me with the poisoned liquor,
But obsessive love breeds rancor.
Excessively obsessed with anything will turn into a disaster,
No matter how good they are,
Now I make a deal with you here,
Go and never come near,
I still have the power to have you pilloried and slaughtered,
The cup saluted me over and over,
Promising “come and go all at your beck and call, Sire.”

 

 

尋陸鴻漸不遇 僧皎然

尋陸鴻漸不遇      僧皎然 (730-799)

移家雖帶郭，野徑入桑麻。
近種籬邊菊，秋來未著花。
扣門無犬吠，欲去問西家。
報道山中去，歸來每日斜。

Calling On Lu Hongjian In Vain     

Monk Jiao Ran (730-799)

Near to the city wall you have moved your household.

Cutting into mulberries and flaxes heads the wild trail,
Within your fences chrysanthemums you grow,
Autumn falls but they are yet to blow,
I knock at your door but not even a dog barks to answer my call,
I ask your west neighbouring household,
Into the mountains they say you go,
When you come back dusk is already to fall.

 

 

送李端 盧綸

送李端    盧綸 (748-800)
故關衰草遍，離別正堪悲。
路出寒雲外，人歸暮雪時。
少孤為客早，多難識君遲。
掩泣空相向，風塵何所期。

Bidding Li Duan Farewell           Lu Lun (748-800)

Grasses in my homeland have shriveled,

This parting brings me great sorrow,
The road on which I bid you farewell spreads beyond the chilly clouds,
I’d return amidst the evening snows,
Forlornly on the tramp as I was bereaved of my father since early juvenile,
Plagued by misfortunes we came across each other really slow,
Now we are going to part I cover my face to let my tears pour,
In these tumultuous times will we ever see each other again at all?

 

喜見外弟又言別 李益

喜見外弟又言別    李益 (748-827)

十年離亂後，長大一相逢，
問姓驚初見，稱名憶舊容。
別來滄海事，語罷暮天鐘。
明日巴陵道，秋山又幾重。

Running Across My Cousin In Delight But

Seeing Him Off Again                Li Yi (748-827)

After ten years of sunder in times of turmoil,

This is the first time since we’ve grown up across we fall,
Asking your name I’m quailed,
With your name eventually your old look I recall,
These years everything in the world has shuffled,
After cozing with you the evening bells are ready to toll,
Tomorrow to Baling you’ll hit the road,
Hereafter by how many autumnal mountains will we be cut off?

 

雲陽館與韓紳宿別 司空曙

雲陽館與韓紳宿別    司空曙 (720-790)

故人江海別，幾度隔山川。
乍見翻疑夢，相悲各問年。
孤燈寒照雨，深竹暗浮煙。
更有明朝恨，離杯惜共傳。

Coming Across Han Shen While Putting Up at the
Yunyang Guest House and Bid Him Farewell the
Next Day                             Sikong Shu (720-790)

Since beyond the rivers and oceans I parted with my old pal.

Rivers and mountains have us many times far far apart pulled,
Presently coming across you I suspect it is only a dream cameo,
Enquiring each other’s age we are saddened by sorrows,
The solitary lamp lights up the chilly drizzles,
Gloomy mists shroud the deep dark bamboos,
Tomorrow we will be plagued by sundering dismals,
With this wine of farewell we must hit the booze.

 

北青蘿 李商隱

北青蘿   李商隱 (813-858)

殘陽西入崦，茅屋訪孤僧。
落葉人何在，寒雲路幾層。
獨敲初夜磬，閑倚一枝藤。
世界微塵裏，吾寧愛與憎。

The North Mt Qing Luo Temple      Li Shangyin (813-858)

To the west behind the mountains the sun goes,

At the solitary monk’s bower I call,
Seeing not the man but just find leaves fall,
Through how many layers of chilly clouds have I scrambled,
Solitarily he beats the stone chime as night falls,
On a rattan he leisurely lolls,
In this a minute dust particle of a world,
Love and hatred are nothing but only vile.

 

 

 

旅宿 杜牧

旅宿    杜牧 (803-852)

旅館無良伴，凝情自悄然。
寒燈思舊事，斷雁驚愁眠。
遠夢歸侵曉，家書到隔年。
滄江好煙月，門繫釣魚船。

Putting Up at a Hostel in My Sojourn       

Du Mu (803-852)

Without a companion I put up in a hostel,

Brooding over my life amidst dismals,
Under the chilly lamp things past I recall,
Sleeping in glum I am unsettled by the lone wild goose’s warble,
Returning from my long dream trip back to my homeland as twilight befalls,
Letters from home take more than a year to reach me in my hostel,
Mists and moonlight over the roving river are relishable,
What’s more delightful is a fishing boat is tied at my threshold.