Classic Poem

Where does it come from, the sound of a flute,
At midnight on a blue-green peak

Shaking the moonlight, it rings high,
Borne by the wind, it carries afar.

Clear and smooth like a warbler's song,
The floating melody rolls downhill.

I listen — a sad melody stirs my heart,
I concentrate — it dispels my gloom.

Always, ever, a lover looks in the mirror,
And, amid vibrant silence, night deepens in the hills.

Splitting a stone, limpid notes are stout,
" Plucking a Willow Branch " breaks a lover's heart.

Clear and muddy notes come in order,
The kung and shang modes unmixed.

How wonderful, notes drawn out and released,
How pleasant, reaping waves of sound.

Long since I played it seated on my bed.
Where is the zestful player leaning against the tower?

Marvelous melodies recall Ts'ai Yen,
Who remembers Juan Chi's clear whistle?

" Plum Blossoms Fall " in the garden,
Fishes and dragons fight in the deep sea.

First, the drawn-out melody startled me,
Now I rejoice in the clear, sweet rhythm.

How can only a reed whistle in Lung
Make the Tartar traders flee homesick?

On Mount Kou-shih a phoenix calls limpidly,
In the deep pool a dragon hums and dances.

A wanderer is struck homesick over the pass,
A widow pines in her room.

Floating, floating, the music turns sad,
Long, long, my thought is disquieted.

We were all ears at the first notes,
But can't grasp the dying sounds.

A startled wind rolls away the border sands,
Cold snow drives through Ch'in Park.

I don't tire of your music,
Should I rise and dance to your tune?

Who is that master flautist?
His creative talent is all his own.

Prince Ch'iao is really not dead,
Has Huan I returned from the underworld?

His solo — a whoop of a single crane,
In unison — a thousand ox-drawn carriages.

Choking, choking, now a tearful complaint,
Murmuring, murmuring, now a tender whisper.

I beg you, flute master,
Hide your art, don't spoil it.

Confucius heard Shao and lost his taste for meat;
I too forget to take my meal.

I cannot help cherishing your heart,
I set forth my deep love for you!