Chinese poetry

Gazing at Zhongnan’s Snow

Zu Yong (699-746?)
 
 
As snow on Zhongnan Mountain floats in blooms
To form beyond the peak in cloudy nets
The forest clears in brightly colored hues—
But in the town, the cold and darkness sets.
 
 

Chinese   終南望餘雪 祖詠   終南陰嶺秀 積雪浮雲端 林表明霽色 城中增暮寒

Pronunciation   Zhōng Nán Wàng Yú Xuě Zǔ Yǒng

For Mother

Wen Tianxiang (1236-1283)
 
 
This noble wife and mother’s time has come
To rise for heaven in the gods’ embrace;
Her grave forever near the hare and fox,
With tears that feel like hail upon my face.
 
 

Chinese   母第一百四十一 文天祥   何時太夫人 上天回哀眷 墓久狐兔鄰 嗚呼淚如霰

Pronunciation   Mǔ Dì Yī Bǎi Sì Shí Yī

Farewell to Mystic Mountain

Huangfu Ran (~ 716-769)
 
 
All day the water flows until it fades, unseen,
At dusk, when grass grows deep in spring and earth recedes—
At times, it’s true, the dogs will bark and chickens squawk,
But who would pull an almond nut from berry seeds?
 
 

Chinese   送鄭二之茅山 皇甫冉   水流絕澗終日 草長深山暮春 犬吠雞鳴幾處

Before the Duke of Zhou

Yu Xin (513-581)
 
 
One dawn I had a home; today it’s gone,
An orchid rooted out and set to burn.
As one would tell a tale of long lost friends
I live my life to watch the world turn.
 
 

Chinese   集周公處連句詩 庾信   市朝一朝變 蘭艾本同焚 故人相借問 平生如所聞

Pronunciation   Jí Zhōu Gōng Chǔ (Lián Jù Shī) Yŭ Xìn

Fresh Wood (for Luo Xue)

Wen Tianxiang (1236-1283)
 
 
A sigh, sigh sound from woods up high to low;
We close the gate and cover up with fur—
Spring feelings flow along the mountain gorge;
At dawn I rise to touch and look at her.
 
 

Chinese   贈羅雪崖樵青 文天祥   蕭蕭山下人 閉門衣裘單 春心動溪谷 曉起捫松看

Pronunciation

Springtime Sun

Yin Qiqi (~800)
 
 
In times of doubt I sing to spring’s fresh sun
And free the knots tied up within my gut—
Your young man’s left his home and not come back
But winter’s snow will wash the willow’s smut.
 
 

Chinese   陽春曲 殷七七   愁見唱陽春 令人離腸結 郎去未歸家 柳自飄香雪

Pronunciation   Yáng Chūn Qū Yīn Qīqī

As Fall Begins, I Look Within

Li Yi (746-829)
 
 
Ten thousand fears have come to fix my life,
As on this mirrored shore I gaze uneased—
Here all I see has turned my temples white
And now it’s time to face the autumn breeze.
 
 

Chinese   立秋前一日覽鏡 李益   萬事銷身外 生涯在鏡中 唯將滿鬢雪 明日對秋風

Pronunciation   Lì Qiū Qián Yī Rì Lǎn Jìng

Seeing Off Guo Liangfu As He Journeys East

Li Duan (743-782?)
 
I’d offer you advice but nothing comes,
Your carriage quickly heads back east to Qin;
These twilight years you drive a thousand miles—
As sun sets on ten thousand homes in spring.
 
 

Chinese   送郭良輔下第東歸 李端   獻策不得意 馳車東出秦 暮年千裏客 落日萬家春

Pronunciation

Seeing Off My Elder Brother

Lu Zhaolin (634-684/686)
 
 
You’ll travel home through frontier mountain roads
To see the blooms and willows of Chang’än;
But now it’s time we part our hands goodbye,
To gaze in silent sorrow, and journey on.
 
 

Chinese   送二兄人蜀 盧照鄰   關山客子路 花柳帝王城 此中一分手 柑顧憐無聲

Pronunciation

Crossing the Yangtze River

Du Shenyan (645-708)
 
 
Late afternoon, this garden grove, where ancient sorrow roams;
It’s spring, but birds and blossoms too do fill the edge with dread.
Alone, expelled, down south in savage lands, my homeland far—
The Yangtze River water flow shows not its northern tread.
 
 

Chinese   渡湘江 杜審言   遲日園林悲昔遊 今春花鳥作邊愁 獨憐京國人南竄