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Sending Off Ling Che

Sending Off Ling Che

 
Liu Changqing (709-785)
 
 
A temple in the vast green bamboo grove
Resounds its bell within the depth and dusk;
The setting sun slopes down your bamboo hat,
As going back from these green hills, you must.
 
 
Chinese
 
送靈澈
劉長卿
 
蒼蒼竹林寺
杳杳鐘聲晚
荷笠帶斜陽
青山獨歸遠
Pronunciation
 

Farewell to Mystic Mountain

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
 
水流澗終日
草長深山暮春
犬吠雞鳴幾處

Fresh Wood (for Luo Xue)

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
 

Midnight Song 2

Midnight Song 2

Xiao Yan, Emperor Wu of Liang (464-549)
 
 
The morning sunshine strokes the window silk
As wind and light together play with strings;
She smiles with subtle ease and lifts her eyes
As when a butterfly brings up its wings.
 
 

A Play for Cold Meal Day

A Play for Cold Meal Day

Lu Yanrang (~ 900)
 
 
On Twelfth Street here it’s like a packed bazaar,
A world of dust that’s choked and cannot clear;
We work like ox until our sweat pours out,
No time to sit and watch the flowers near.
 
 
Chinese
 
寒食日戲
盧延讓
 
十二街如市
紅塵咽不開
灑蹄馬汗
沒處看花來
Pronunciation
 
Hán Shí Rì Xì

Cicadas

Cicadas

Yu Shinan (558-638)
 
 
He dangles down to drink the clear light dew,
Exuding sound through the green leaf brush;
And flowing far and wide, his voice flies on
Without the need of wind from autumn’s rush.
 
 
Chinese
 

虞世南
 
飲清露
流響出疏桐
居高聲自遠
非是藉秋風
Pronunciation
 
Chán

Bamboo Retreat

Bamboo Retreat

Wang Wei (692-761)
 
 
Alone I sit within the bamboo grove
And lift my lute to strum and hum along;
Within this depth of woods a man forgets —
The bright moon comes to mix its light with song.
 
 
Chinese
 
竹裏館
王維
 
獨坐幽篁裏
彈琴復長嘯
深林人不知
明月來相照
Pronunciation
 
Zhú Lǐ Guǎn
Wáng Wéi