Chinese Poems

西厢记·碧云天·正宫端正好 王实甫 碧云天，黄叶地， 西风紧，北雁南飞。 晓来谁染霜林醉？ 点点是离人泪。 Blue Sky with White Clouds Wang Shifu The blue sky fleeting with white clouds, The earth covered with yellow fallen leaves. A west wind blows, and wild geese fly southwards. In early morning, woods are dotted white with frost, Tears of lovers’ sad departure. （王宏印 译）...

八至 李治 至近至远东西，至深至浅清溪。 至高至明日月，至亲至疏夫妻。 Eight Most Li Ye nearest furthest, east west deep, a shallow, a clear creek highest brightest sun and moon so close so far—man wife （Christopher Kelen, Hilda Tam, Song Zijiang, Iris Fan and Carol Ting 译）...

Liu Zongyuan 秋晓行南谷经荒村 柳宗元 杪秋霜露重，晨起行幽谷。 黄叶覆溪桥，荒村唯古木。 寒花疏寂历，幽泉微断续。 机心久已忘，何事惊麋鹿？ Morning Walk in Autumn to South Valley Passing an Abandoned Village Liu Tsung-yuan Autumn’s end: frost and dew become heavy. Get up early. Walk in secluded ravine. Yellow leaves cover stream and bridge. Deserted village: only ancient trees. Cold flowers, sparse: quiet, alone. Secluded spring, a little: heard, unheard. Scheme of mind now lost a long time, What is it that startles a young deer? （Wai-lim Yip 译）...

客中即事 朱静庵 华屋沉沉乳燕飞，绿杨深处啭黄鹂。 疏帘不卷薰风静，坐看庭花日影移。 Impromptu on a Trip Zhu Jing’an The splendid mansion is quiet, young swallows fly. In the deep shade of green poplars, orioles sing. The breeze is gone, the light curtain still, I sit and watch flower shadows shift in the garden. （Michelle Yeh 译）...

秋日见蝶 朱静庵 江空木落雁声悲，霜染丹枫百草萎。 蝴蝶不知身是梦，又随秋色上寒枝。 Seeing a Butterfly on an Autumn Day Zhu Jing’an Vast river, falling leaves, eagles’ sorrowful cries, Frost dyes crimson maples, all plants wither. Not knowing itself a dream, a butterfly Flits toward a cold twig in this autumn scene. （Michelle Yeh 译）...

闺怨 朱静庵 啼鸟惊回晓梦醒，起来无力倚银屏。 蛾眉未得张郎画，羞见东风柳眼青。 Grievance from the Boudoir Zhu Jing’an Awakened from daydreaming by twittering birds, She leans languidly on a silver screen. Her slender brows have not been painted by Scholar Zhang She’s too shy to see green willow eyes in the east wind. （Michelle Yeh 译）...

染甲 朱静庵 金盘和露捣晴霞，红透纤纤玉笋芽。 翠袖笼香理瑶瑟，绿阴新锭海棠花。 Coloring My Fingernails Zhu Jing’an In a golden plate dew is mixed with dawn sunlight, Applying red to fingers slender and white like young bamboo shoots. Green sleeves with an exquisite scent play the zither In green shade crab apple flowers newly in bloom. （Michelle Yeh 译）...

病中作 朱静庵 剔尽寒灯梦不成，拥衾危坐到三更。 不知何处吹羌笛，落尽梅花月满城。 Written in Illness Zhu Jing’an Wide awake, I trim the remaining wick of the cold lamp. With a quilt over me, I sit up till midnight. Where is the flute coming from? Plum blossoms fall in a moonlight-washed town. （Michelle Yeh 译）...

春蚕词 朱静庵 桃花落尽日初长，陌上雨晴桑叶黄。 拜罢三姑祭蚕室，渐笼温火暖蚕房。 Spring Silkworms: A Song Zhu Jing’an Peach blossoms have all fallen and the day is longer. On the path after the rain, mulberry leaves have turned yellow. After praying to the patron goddess, she makes an offering to the silkworm nursery And lights a low fire in bamboo baskets to warm up the room. （Michelle Yeh 译）...

春雨 朱静庵 湿云漠漠雨如丝，花满西园蝶未知。 金屋晓寒莺语涩，画楼春晚燕归迟。 宫桃有恨啼红泪，烟柳多情敛翠眉。 檀板金尊久寥落，孤城愁听角声悲。 Spring Rain Zhu Jing’an Dark rain clouds, drizzle like silk yarns, Flowers fill the west garden, unknown to butterflies. In the morning chill of the golden mansion, orioles’ bitter songs, Late spring in the adorned boudoir, swallows have not returned. Resentful peach blossoms in the palace shed crimson tears; Passionate willows in the haze knit their emerald brows. Sandalwood clappers and gold goblets have long stood still Grieving in a lonely city, I listen to the sad sound of horns. （Michelle Yeh 译）...

湖曲 朱静庵 湖光山色映柴扉，茅屋疏篱客到稀。 闲摘松花酿春酒，旋裁荷叶制秋衣。 红分夜火明书屋，绿涨晴波没钓矶。 惟有溪头双白鸟，朝朝相对亦忘机。 Songs on the Lake Zhu Jing’an Shimmering lake and mountain glow refracted on the bramble door, Behind the makeshift fence, in the thatched hut, visitors are few. In leisure I pluck juniper berries to brew spring wine And tailor water lily leaves into an autumn gown. Red flames in the night illuminate my studio; Green waves on a clear day immerse the fishing rock. Only a pair of white birds at the head of the stream Standing side by side they have forgotten the world. （Michelle Yeh 译）...

绿珠·《懊侬歌·其三》 我有一所欢，安在深阁里。 桐树不结花，何由得梧子。 Song of Worries III As I keep my lover deep in my mind, How can I rest at ease within my bower? Because the tung trees bear no flower, Where are the seeds for me to find? （汪榕培 译）...

吴山怀古 朱静庵 万里中原战血腥，宋家南渡若为情。 忠臣有志清沙漠，庸主无心复汴京。 北塞春风啼蜀魄，西湖夜月照瑶筝。 百年兴废空陈迹，回首吴山落照明。 Reflecting on Antiquity on Wu Hill Zhu Jing’an Blood of war washed the ten-thousand-mile Central Plains.1 Thereupon the Song court moved to the south: Loyal ministers were determined to clear the desert, But incompetent lords had no intention of recovering the lost capital. In northern passes, cuckoos of Shu cry in spring breeze; On West Lake the night moon shines on the jade zither. Past glory and disgrace are but empty traces I turn to gaze at the setting sun still glowing on Wu Hill. 1. The Chinese heartland; the reference is to the fall of northern China to the Jürchen armies in 1127. （Michelle Yeh 译）...

绿珠·《懊侬歌·其二》 江陵去扬州，三千三百里。 已行一千三，还有二千在。 Song of Worries II The journey from Jiangling to Yangzhou Covers three thousand and three hundred li. The first one thousand and three hundred is slow And there are still two thousand li to go. （汪榕培 译）...

libai 长相思 李白 日色欲尽花含烟，月明如素愁不眠。 赵瑟初停凤凰柱，蜀琴欲奏鸳鸯弦。 此曲有意无人传，愿随春风寄燕然。 忆君迢迢隔青天，昔日横波目，今为流泪泉。 不信妾肠断，归来看取明镜前。 Longing Li Po Sunlight beings to fade, mist fills the flowers, The moon as white as silk weeps and cannot sleep, Chao zither’s Phoenix frets no more shall I touch, Shu lute’s Mandarin Duck strings I’ll sound instead: This song has a meaning that no one can tell, It follows the Spring wind as far as Yen-jan To you far, far away beyond the blue sky— Whom once I gave A sideways glance With eyes that now Are wells of tears— If you do not believe that my heart breaks, Come back and look with me into this glass! （Arthur Cooper 译）...

libai 宴陶家亭子 李白 曲巷幽人宅，高门大士家。 池开照胆镜，林吐破颜花。 绿水藏春日，青轩秘晚霞。 若闻弦管妙，金谷不能夸。 Evening in the Pavilion of My Friend Tao Li Pai A twisted lane and then we came to the home of this retired one, big gates welcoming us into the larger house of his great family; in front of it water with a beauty that penetrated one’s inmost being, trees and flowers that seemed to smile back at you; green translucent waters as if holding the warm sun of spring, and the house seemed to take in bits of the loveliness of clouds and hold it in its rooms; should one be here and then listen to music from a temple, surely the Golden Valley gardens1 could not compare with it. 1. In the Western Tsin Dynasty (265-316 AD) there were famous gardens called “Golden Valley.” （Rewi Alley 译）...

与朝歌令吴质书 曹丕 五月二十八日，丕白： 季重无恙。途路虽局，官守有限，愿言之怀，良不可任。足下所治僻左，书问致简，益用增劳。 每念昔日南皮之游，诚不可忘。既妙思六经，逍遥百氏，弹棋间设，终以博奕，高谈娱心，哀筝顺耳。弛骛北场，旅食南馆，浮甘瓜于清泉，沈朱李于寒水。白日既匿，继以朗月，同乘并载，以游后园。舆轮徐动，宾从无声，清风夜起，悲笳微吟，乐往哀来，怆然伤怀，余顾而言，斯乐难常。足下之徒，咸以为然。今果分别，各在一方。元瑜长逝，化为异物，每一念至，何时可言！ 方今蕤宾纪时，景风扇物，天意和暖，众果具繁。时驾而游，北遵河曲，从者鸣笳以启路，文学托乘于后车。节同时异，物是人非，我劳如何！ 今遣骑到邺，故使枉道相过。行矣自爱， 丕白。 Letter to Wu Zhi, Magistrate of Zhaoge Cao Pi Fifth month, twenty-eighth day, Pi reporting: Are you well, Jizhong? The distance that separates us is not great, but office imposes restrictions and I find I have no way to convey the thoughts I want to speak of. The place you are governing now is awkwardly situated and out of the way and our correspondence as a result is sketchy, a fact that increases my depression. Each time I think back to those days when we amused ourselves at Nanpi, I find them more unforgettable than ever. After mulling over the secrets of the Six Classics and wandering at will through the Hundred Philosophers, we found time to squeeze in a little chess, ending up with a game of liubo.1 Lofty discourse delighted our minds, plaintive strings soothed the ear. We galloped in haste to the northern ground, feasted with the crowd in the southern hall, floating sweet melons in the clear fountain, dunking crimson plums in its cold waters. And when the bright sun had gone into hiding, we carried on by the glow of the moon. Sharing a single carriage or…...

酒逢知己饮，诗向会人吟。 Wine is drunk when bosom friends meet, Poetry is chanted to people who understand it. （胡晓阳 译） With your bosom friends you can happily drink spirits and wine, and recite poems to the persons who can find them fine. （郭著章 译）...

篱竹 郑板桥 一片绿阴如洗，护竹何劳荆杞？ 仍将竹作芭篱，求人不如求已。 Fenced Bamboos Zheng Banqiao In the clear stretch of green gloom, Why bother thorns and brambles to shelter the bamboos? Put the bamboos in the catalogue of wattled walls, Because self-help is better than help from others. （吴松林 译）...

刚峰宦囊 周晖 都御史刚峰海公卒于官舍，同乡宦南京者，惟户部苏怀民一人。苏点其宦囊，竹笼中俸金八两、葛布一端、旧衣数件而已。如此都御史，那可多得！王司寇风洲评之云：“不怕死，不爱钱，不立党。”此九字断尽海公生平，即千万言谀之，能加于此评乎？ Hai Rui’s Possessions and Property Zhou Hui (1546-1623) Mr. Hai Gangfeng, 1 the highest-ranking official of the Central Censorate, 2 passed away in his official residence. The only person from his hometown in Nanjing was an official called Su Huaimin in the Ministry of Revenue. 3 When Su checked the possessions and property Mr. Hai had left behind, he found nothing except eight taels of silver (his salary), several meters of plain cloth and a few pieces of some worn-out clothes in a bamboo container. Where can people find one more such Grand Censor? Wang Shizhen, Minister of Justice of his time, made his comment by saying, “He did not fear death, nor did he take a fancy to money, or from a clique with anyone.” Wang’s words properly summarized Hai Rui’s life. Even if thousands of words could be used to praise him, no other comments could surpass this one. 1. Hai Gangfeng (1514-87), better known as Hai Rui, was a famous Chinese official during the Ming Dynasty. His name has come down in history as a model of upright morality, scrupulous honesty, fairness and integrity in office. 2. It pinyin is Ducha Yuan, the top-level central supervisory agency in ancient China.…...

旅夜闻寇 方维仪 蟋蟀吟秋户，凉风起暮山。 衰年逢世乱，故国几时还。 盗贼侵南甸，军书下北关。 生民涂炭尽，积血染刀镮。 While Traveling in Autumn, I Hear of the Invading Bandits Fang Weiyi At autumn portals crickets hum, A cool wind rises amid dusky peaks. In my declining years, I run into troubled times, When will I return to my native land? Bandits invade the southern townships, Military orders are dispatched to the northern passes. Human horror is at its height: Layers of blood coat our swords to the hilt. （Paula Varsano 译）...

出塞 方维仪 辞家万里戍，关路隔风烟。 赋重无馀饷，边荒不种田。 小兵知有死，贪吏尚求钱。 倚赖君王福，何时唱凯旋。 Setting out from the Passes Fang Weiyi Left home for an outpost ten thousand miles away Where the mountain roads are severed by wind and smoke. Too many taxes, no extra victuals, The frontier is barren no planting of fields. Foot soldiers ever mindful of death, A grasping official still demanding his sum Relying on the bounty of our lord and king, When will we sing out: Victory! and home! （Paula Varsano 译）...

报秦嘉书 徐淑 既惠音令，兼赐诸物，厚顾殷勤，出于非望！ 镜有文彩之丽，钗有殊异之观，芳香既珍，素琴益好，惠异物于鄙陋，割所珍以相赐，非丰恩之厚，孰肯若斯？ 览镜执钗，情想仿佛；操琴咏诗，思心成结。敕以芳香馥身，喻以明镜鉴形，此言过矣，未获我心也。昔诗人有“飞蓬”之感，班婕妤有“谁荣”之叹。 素琴之作，当须君归；明镜之鉴，当待君还。未奉光仪，则宝钗不列也；未侍帷帐，则芳香不发也。 Xu Shu’s Reply to Her Husband’s Letter Xu Shu By sending me a letter and in addition bestowing upon me all these gifts you reveal a devotion and a solicitude far beyond my expectations. The mirror possesses elegant beauty, the hairpins are striking in appearance, the perfume has rare qualities and the plain zither is also excellent. Presenting these marvelous gifts to your humble wife you have parted with things that you yourself highly treasure to bestow them upon another. Unless it be a husband capable of truly deep affection, who could act in this way? I handle the mirror and take hold of the hairpins, my longing mood responds; I grasp the zither and recite a poem, my loving heart is tied into knots. But when you to let the perfume render my body fragrant and instruct me to let the bright mirror reflect my features your words indeed err, revealing that you have failed to fathom my heart. A poetess of the past was moved to liken her unkempt hair to “flying Artemisia”;1 in her plaintive poem Ban Jieyu asks: “For whom shall I make myself fair?”2 Until you, my lord, return, the…...

死别离 方维仪 昔闻生别离，不言死别离。 无论生与死，我独身当之。 北风吹枯桑，日夜为我悲。 上视沧浪天，下无黄口儿。 人生不如死，父母泣相持。 黄鸟各东西，秋草亦参差。 予生何所为，死亦何所辞。 白日有如此，我心徒自知。 Parted by Death Fang Weiyi Since times of old we hear of separation; Who has spoken of partings by death? Yet whether it be by life or by death I face it all alone. The north wind buffets the barren mulberry, It mourns for me night and day. I lift my eyes to the broad azure sky Below, no wide-mouthed babe.1 To live thus is worse than death, Still, mother and father cling and weep. Two orioles fly one east, one west, The autumn grasses, too, are in disarray. I live and what do I serve? I die why should I refuse? That under the white sun there can be such torment, My heart knows well, in vain. 1. She raises her eyes to heaven in supplication, like the speaker of poem 65 in the Book of Odes. The expression huang kou er describes a fledgling chick or a baby. This couplet alludes grimly to the yuefu poem “Leaving from the Eastern Gate” (“Chu dongmen xing”), in which a wife pleads with her husband not to depart: “Other families only care for wealth and fortune, /Your humble wife would simply…...