Chinese Poems

劈破玉 民间曲调 要分离，除非天做了地； 要分离，除非东做了西； 要分离，除非官做了吏。 你要分时分不得我， 我要离时离不得你； 就死在黄泉也， 做不得分离鬼！ Broken Jade: Separation folk tune To separate, let heaven fall into earth; To separate, let east turn into west; To separate, let greybeard become greenhorn. You’d rather separate, but I would not; I’d rather separate, but you would not. Even if we die, in netherworld, We are not to be separated. （王宏印 译）...

醉太平·寒食其三 王元鼎 辜负了禁烟。 冷落了秋千。 春光去也怎留恋？ 听莺啼燕喧， 红馥馥落尽桃花片。 青丝丝舞困垂杨线， 扑簌簌满地坠榆钱， 芳心堕倦。 The Cold Food Day To the Tune of Intoxication in Peace Wang Yuanding Wasting the golden chance of banning cooking, Abusing the jolly time of having a swing. Having no way to make the prime of spring lingering, I have to listen to orioles and swallow’s twittering. No peach blossoms blooming but the pink petals whirling, The slender willow twigs are growing weary of dancing, Streaming down in breeze are elm seeds everywhere rustling. Sitting in the room alone I’m wearing. （周方珠 译）...

醉太平·寒食其二 王元鼎 声声啼乳鸦， 生叫破韶华， 夜深微雨润堤沙， 香风万家。 画楼洗净鸳鸯瓦， 彩绳半湿秋千架。 觉来红日上窗纱， 听街头卖杏花。 Tune: Drunk in Time of Peace Cold Food Day Wang Yuanding Nursling crows caw out cry on cry, Breaking the early day of spring. Last night the drizzle moistened the sand far and nigh, Thousands of homes sweetened by the breeze on the wing. The lovebirds tiles of painted house are washed clean, The colored ropes of the swing wet before the bower. I wake to find the sun redden the window screen And hear the street cry of selling apricot flower. （许渊冲 译） Ode on Cold Festival1 to the tune of Tipsy in a Peaceful Time Wang Yuanding Incessantly the young ravens call in chime That break suddenly the fair spring time. Drizzle at deep night dampens the dam and sand, In the fragrance of wind myriad houses stand. Paired tiles on the painted tower are washed clean, Slightly wet is the colour ropes of the swings, Awake, one finds the red sun shining on the window screen, In ears the call of the seller of apricot flowers rings. the traditional Chinese festival, celebrated on the day before Qingming when people eat cold food only. （辜正坤 译）...

凭阑人·闺怨 王元鼎 垂柳依依惹暮烟， 素魄娟娟当绣轩。 妾身独自眠， 月圆人未圆。 Boudoir Repining To the Tune of Person Learning on the Railing Wang Yuanding Swaying in the breeze are willows in the mist of twilight, The splendid boudoir is bathed in the soothing moonlight. I have to sleep alone at night, The moon is full, I’m yearning to reunite. （周方珠 译） Resentment Heard in the Bower to the tune of Person Leaning on the Railing Curling up over the willows is the smoke approaching night, Hanging above outside the painted window is the moon chaste and white. Sleeping quietly I am lonely in a plight, The moon is full, my man is out of sight. （辜正坤 译）...

宫词三十首（存二十七首，录一） 王涯 白雪猧儿拂地行，惯眠红毯不曾惊。 深宫更有何人到，只晓金阶吠晚萤。 “Palace Poem” Wang Ya A snow-white terrier brushes the ground as it walks; Used to sleeping on red carpet, it has no sense of fright. Who could have come the palace’s innermost quarter? It barks only at evening fireflies by the gold-inlaid steps. (No. 13 from A Series of 27) （Irving Y. Lo 译）...

秋思赠远二首（其二） 王涯 厌攀杨柳临清阁，闲采芙蕖傍碧潭。 走马台边人不见，拂云堆畔战初酣。 Autumn Thoughts for My Wife Wang Ya II When tied of breaking willow branch before my bower, I pluck at leisure by poolside the lotus flower. I cannot find your face when I ride on my horse, But hear the cloud echo war cries of combat force. （许渊冲 译）...

秋思赠远二首（其一） 王涯 当年只自守空帷，梦里关山觉别离。 不见乡书传雁足，唯看新月吐蛾眉。 Autumn Thoughts for My Wife Wang Ya I In bygone years alone in empty room did I stay To dream of the mountains of homeland far away. Seeing no wild geese bringing me your letter now, I only find the new moon like your arching brow. （许渊冲 译）...

秋夜曲 王涯 桂魄初生秋露微，轻罗已薄未更衣。 银筝夜久殷勤弄，心怯空房不忍归。 “Song of Autumn Night” Wang Ya A new moon has come up and the autumn dew is light, Her dress of soft gauze is too thin before she has time to change. All night long she plays tenderly on the silver flute; With a timid heart, she can’t bear returning to an empty room. （Irving Y. Lo 译）...

观于舍人壁画山水 王季友 野人宿在人家少，朝见此山谓山晓。 半壁仍栖岭上云，开帘欲放湖中鸟。 独坐长松是阿谁，再三招手起来迟。 于公大笑向予说，小弟丹青能尔为。 Viewing Mr. Yü’s Landscape Painting on the Wall Wang Chi-yu A rustic person like me seldom spends a night in a mountain home. I wake and watch the dawn come to these hills: On the wall the clouds still hover above the peaks; And I open the window to set free the birds in the lake. Who is this man sitting alone under the tall pine?— To my repeated greetings he is slow in response. Mr. Yü lets loose a hearty laugh and says, “It is my painting that deceives you so.” （Joseph J. Lee 译）...

杜鹃花 秋瑾 杜鹃花发杜鹃啼，似血如朱一抹齐。 应是留春留不住，夜深风露也寒凄。 The Azalea Qiu Jin The azaleas turning red, cuckoos are to sing, Either blood or red is like the same thing. We have no way to have kept spring stay, At midnight the windy dews drop coldly. （朱曼华 译）...

Han Yu 蓝田县丞厅壁记 韩愈 丞之职所以贰令，于一邑无所不当问。其下主薄、尉，主薄、尉乃有分职。丞位高而逼，例以嫌不可否事。文书行，吏抱成案诣丞，卷其前，钳以左手，右手摘纸尾，雁鹜行以进，平立睨丞曰：“当署。”丞涉笔占位，署惟谨，目吏，问：“可不可？”吏曰：“得”，则退，不敢略省，漫不知何事。官虽尊，力势反出主薄、尉下。谚数慢，必曰“丞”，至以相訾謷。丞之设，岂端使然哉？ 博陵崔斯立，种学绩文，以蓄其有，泓涵演迤，日大以肆。贞元初，挟其能战艺于京师，再进再屈千人。元和初，以前大理评事言得失黜官，再转而为丞兹邑。始至，喟曰：“官无卑，顾材不足塞职。”既噤不得施用，又喟曰：“丞哉，丞哉！余不负丞，而丞负余。”则尽枿去牙角，一蹑故迹，破崖岸而为之。 丞厅故有记，坏漏污不可读。斯立易桷与瓦，墁治壁，悉书前任人名氏。庭有老槐四行，南墙巨竹千梃，俨立若相持，水虢虢循除鸣。斯立痛扫溉，对树二松，日吟哦其间。有问者，辄对曰：“余方有公事，子姑去。” [考功郎中、知制诰韩愈记。] Written on the Wall of the Assistant Magistrate’s Han Yu The assistant magistrate’s task is to help the magistrate and look into everything that goes on in his county. Under him are secretaries with various functions. But though his status is high, he is too cribbed and encumbered to take any action. When a document has to be issued, the clerk brings it to him—made out. Holding the forepart of the scroll tightly rolled in his left hand, he pulls out its end with his right, swoops down on the assistant magistrate and looks at his askance. “Your signature, please!” he says. The assistant magistrate picks up his brush and signs with care in the allotted place, glancing at the clerk for reassurance. “All in order,” says the clerk, and withdraws. The assistant magistrate dares not look into the matter and has no idea what is at issue. Though his position is high, he has less authority than the secretaries. But he is usually the first to be criticized, and is sometimes roundly abused for negligence. Is this why they created such a post? Tsui Szu-li of Poling cultivated the arts and…...

Han Yu "On Teachers" is an argumentative essay written by Han Yu, a literary figure of the Tang Dynasty. The article expounds on the truth of seeking knowledge from teachers, satirizes the social attitude of being ashamed to learn from others, educates the youth, and plays a role in transforming social customs. 双语散文 师说 古之学者必有师。师者，所以传道受业解惑也。人非生而知之者，孰能无惑？惑而不从师，其为惑也，终不解矣。生乎吾前，其闻道也，固先乎吾，吾从而师之；生乎吾后，其闻道也，亦先乎吾，吾从而师之。吾师道也，夫庸知其年之先后生于吾乎？是故无贵无贱，无长无少，道之所存，师之所存也。 嗟乎！师道之不传也久矣，欲人之无惑也难矣。古之圣人，其出人也远矣，犹且从师而问焉；今之众人，其下圣人也亦远矣，而耻学于师。是故圣益圣，愚益愚。圣人之所以为圣，愚人之所以为愚，其皆出于此乎？爱其子，择师而教之；于其身也，则耻师焉，惑矣。彼童子之师，授之书而习其句读者，非吾所谓传其道解其惑者也。句读之不知，惑之不解，或师焉，或不焉，小学而大遗，吾未见其明也。巫医、乐师、百工之人，不耻相师。士大夫之族，曰师曰弟子云者，则群聚而笑之。问之，则曰：“彼与彼年相若也，道相似也，位卑则足羞，官盛则近谀。”呜呼！师道之不复，可知矣。巫医、乐师、百工之人，君子不齿。今其智乃反不能及，其可怪也欤！ 圣人无常师。孔子师郯子、苌弘、师襄、老聃。郯子之徒，其贤不及孔子。孔子曰：“三人行，则必有我师。”是故弟子不必不如师，师不必贤于弟子。闻道有先后，术业有专攻，如是而已。 李氏子蟠，年十七，好古文，六艺经传皆通习之，不拘于时，学于余。余嘉其能行古道，作《师说》以贻之。 On the Teacher Han Yu In ancient times scholars always had teachers. It takes a teacher to transmit the Way, impart knowledge and resolve doubts. Since man is not born with knowledge, who can be without doubt? But doubt will never be resolved without a teacher. He who was born before me learned the Way before me, and I take him as my teacher. But if he who was born after me learned the Way before me, I also take him as my teacher. I take the Way as my teacher. Why should I care whether a man was born before or after me? Irrespective therefore of the distinction between the high-born and the lowly, and between age and youth, where the Way is, there is my teacher. Alas, it has been a long time since the Way of the teacher was…...

减字木兰花 纳兰性德 相逢不语，一朵芙蓉着秋雨。小晕红潮，斜溜钗心只凤翘。 待将低唤，直为凝情恐人见。欲诉幽情，转过回廊叩玉钗。 Shortened Form of Lily Magnolia Flowers Nalanshinde Lost in thought, she was met with, Like a lotus dripped by the Autumn rain. Her cheeks mantled with light blushes, And out of her topknot was a phoenix wear. For the love of undertone, pray, Her mushy love might be espied. Tempted to unveil her secret, But she left, tracing tinkly jade and pin. （吴松林 译）...

Jingzhao, a native of Wanping, was born during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. She was known by the courtesy name of Yueshang or Yueshi, and was a well-born daughter of the Cao family. Originally a palace concubine in the Ming Dynasty, she later renounced her worldly life and became a nun. 《宫词六首》 静照 一树寒花冒雪开，幽香寂寂映妆台。 女官争簇传呼近，知是鸾宫选侍来。 宝妆云髻亸金衣，娇小丰姿傍玉扉。 新入未谙宫禁事，低头先拜段纯妃。 Palace Poems [two from a Series of Six] Cao Jingzhao II A tree full of chilly flowers blooms right in the snow, Faintly fragrant, utterly silent, dazzling tower and terrace. Palace maids cluster around, their calls draw near, Making known the Phoenix Palace chosen attendants are here. III Bejeweled makeup, cloud-coiffure, trailing golden garments, Small and dainty the pose she strikes beside the door of jade. A newcomer still unfamiliar with palace matters, Head lowered, first she bows to the number one concubine. （Nancy Hodes and Tung Yuan-fang 译）...

《二十四诗品》 唐·司空图 玉壶买春，赏雨茅屋。 坐中佳士，左右修竹。 白云初晴，幽鸟相逐。 眠琴绿阴，上有飞瀑。 落花无言，人淡如菊。 书之岁华，其曰可读。 Refinement A jade kettle with a purchase of spring1, A shower on the thatched hut Wherein sits a gentle scholar, With tall bamboos growing right and left, And white clouds in the newly-clear sky, And birds flitting in the depths of trees. Then pillowed on his lute in the green shade, A waterfall tumbling overhead, Leaves dropping, not a word spoken, The man placid, like a chrysanthemum, Noting down the flower-glory of the season,-- A book well worthy to be read. 1. Wine which makes man see spring at all seasons. （Herbert A. Giles 译）...

摘要: 双语诗歌《幼女词》 幼女词 毛铉 下床着新衣，初学小姑拜。 低头羞见人，双手结裙带。 A Little Damsel Mao Xuan Getting off her bed and putting on a new dress, She bows to Heaven and Earth like a young bride. Not a little embarrassed, she hangs her head, Her hands coiling the girdle of her skirt. （王晋熙、文殊 译）...

闲赏·元旦 卫泳 元旦应酬作苦，且阅岁渐深，韶光渐短，添得一番甲子，增得一番感慨。庄子曰：大块“劳我以生”。此之谓乎！吾所取者，淑气临门，和风拂面，东郊农事，举趾有期。江梅提柳，装点春工，晴雪条风，消融腊气，山居之士，负暄而坐，顿觉化日舒长，为人生一快耳。 Thoughts at Leisure on New Year’s Day Wei Yong It is actually a grind to attend a lot of trivial social activities during the New Year’s Day.1 Besides, good days will look increasingly shorter as we grow older. Therefore, once we are one more year older, we will have the regret that our future days are one year shorter. Zhuangzi’s words that “Nature makes me grow with toil”2 must refer to this situation. Therefore, the attitude I should adopt is that when spring is coming and an agreeable breeze is caressing my face, it is time that I should get ready to do the farm work in the eastern suburbs. The plum blossoms along the riversides and the willows on the causeways decorate the beautiful scenery in spring. The east wind blows away the lingering snow on sunny days, dispelling the piercing cold air in the coldest 12th month of the lunar year. When the folks who dwell in the hills sit outside to bask their backs in the sun, they suddenly feel that the time of the day is now becoming longer. What a delightful thing in life it is! Here, New Year’s Day refers to Chinese Spring Festival,…...

从萧叔子听弹琴，赋得三峡流泉歌 李冶 妾家本住巫山云，巫山流泉常自闻。 玉琴弹出转寥夐，直是当时梦里听。 三峡迢迢几千里，一时流入幽闺里。 巨石崩崖指下生，飞泉走浪弦中起。 初疑愤怒含雷风，又似呜咽流不通。 回湍曲濑势将尽，时复滴沥平沙中。 忆昔阮公为此曲，能令仲容听不足。 一弹既罢复一弹，愿作流泉镇相续。 A Song Written on the Topic “Streams Flowing down in the Three Gorges”  Li Ye My home used to be up there in Wu Mountain’s clouds, Where streams flowing from the mountain always can be heard. As the jade zither plays these sounds, they grow more sharp and clear, Just as they were in days of yore when heard within a dream. The Three Gorges are far away, many thousands of miles, But all at once they come flowing into my secluded chambers. Huge boulders crash down cliffs, audible under his fingers, Waterfalls and rushing waves rise from in the strings. It seems at first some bursting rage, thundering gales within, Then as if choked with sobbing sounds some current can’t get through. When force of winding rapids and whirlpools runs its course, The liquid notes fall drop by drop upon the level sand. I recall how long ago Ruan Xian composed this tune This could make even him ever hear his fill. You’ve played it once and finished, now play it once again, I want those flowing streams to continue forever. （Stephen Owen 译）...

相思怨 李冶 人道海水深，不抵相思半。 海水尚有涯，相思渺无畔。 携琴上高楼，楼虚月华满。 弹著相思曲，弦肠一时断。 Reproach in Love  Li Ye People say the sea is deep it’s not as deep by half as love. The sea at least still has its coasts, love’s farthest reaches have no shore. Take your harp and climb the tower, where moonlight fills the empty rooms. Then play the song of longing love heart and strings will break together. （Stephen Owen 译） The Bitterness of Longing Li Ye Deep is the ocean of human life, but the ocean has a shore; twice as deep is my longing for you, and longing is ever more. Lute in hand, I go upstairs, but there is no one here; moonlight fills the empty room, shining from way out there. Plucking my lute, I play a tune, Song of Pining for You; a string snaps as it rends my heart, breaking it in two. （Bannie Chow and Thomas Cleary 译）...

八至 李冶 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 Extremes  Li Ye What is closest and farthest apart? east and west, What is deepest and most shallow? the clear brook. What is highest and brightest? the sun and moon, Most intimate and most estranged? a man and wife. （Stephen Owen 译） Eight Superlatives Li Ye Furthest and nearest are east and west; deepest and most shallow are pure clear valley streams. Highest and brightest are the sun and moon; closest and most distant are husband and wife. （Bannie Chow and Thomas Cleary 译）...

雪 罗隐 尽道丰年瑞，丰年事若何？ 长安有贫者，为瑞不宜多。 Snow Luo Yin A bumper snow, a bumper harvest; It is universally said. But Some people are ill-fed and ill-clad In the capital, and they are cold. （张智中 译）...

剪纸迎春 立春之日，悉剪彩为燕以戴之，帖“宜春”二字。 （南朝 梁）宗懔《荆楚岁时记》 立春之日，士大夫家剪纸为小幅，或悬于佳人之首，或缀于花下。 （唐）段成式《酉阳杂俎》 Papercuttings1 to Welcome Spring On the first day of Spring people cut patterns of swallows out of colourful silk to be worn on the hair and put characters which mean “pleasant spring” on their doors. Zong Lin (Southern Dynasties, the State of Liang): Stories of the Jing and Chu Times On the first day of Spring2, the families of officials and scholars cut small pieces of paper [into patterns of birds and flowers], some to be worn on the hair of the beauties, some to be attached to flowers and plants. Duan Chengshi (Tang Dynasty): You Yang Records of a Myriad Things Papercuttings: sometimes also called floral window decorations, the making of which dates far back to the Western Jin Dynasty (around the 3rdcentury). At that time, people cut swallow patterns out of colourful silk or paper to celebrate spring. This practice, originally a method of praying for luck, later became popular in all parts of China. Now paper-cutting, is a common, traditional folk art for decorative purpose. the first day of Spring: one of the 24 solar terms, or divisions of the solar year according to the Chinese calendar. The Chinese take this day as…...

齐天乐·咏蟋蟀 姜夔 庚郎先自吟《愁赋》，凄凄更闻私语。露湿铜铺，苔侵石井，都是曾听伊处。哀音似诉，正思妇无眠，起寻机杼。曲曲屏山，夜凉独自甚情绪？ 西窗又吹暗雨，为谁频断续，相和砧杵？候馆迎秋，离宫吊月，别有伤心无数。豳诗漫与，笑篱落呼灯，世间儿女。写入琴丝，一声声更苦。 Crickets Jiang Kui At first Mr. Zhang chanted a wonderful poetic prose, Like the famous poet Yu Xin used to sing his Rhapsody of Sorrows. Then I heard crickets chirp plaintively from the hollows, From the bronze door ring bases, And from the stone wells covered with mosses. Hearing this querulous sound of crickets, The longing woman in her private room, Unable to sleep, got up to look for the loom. Looking at the winding mountains on the screen, She thought of her husband travelling. What was her emotion in such a lonely cold evening? I seemed to hear wailing wind And weeping rain patter on the west window. For whom the sound of the rain and wind now stopped, now continued, And was accompanied with the clothes-beating sound? Travellers feeling sad in the autumn at a forlorn inn, And concubines in a temporary palace falling into disfavor with the king, Would be all the more heart-broken When they heard the plaintive sound of crickets in a cold moonlit evening. In the Book of Songs a poet wrote an impromptu poem on crickets with deep feeling. Children knowing nothing of the sadness of the world Try to catch crickets…...

鹦鹉宅西国 [唐代] 寒山 鹦鹉宅西国，虞罗捕得归。 美人朝夕弄，出入在庭帏。 赐以金笼贮，扃哉损羽衣。 不如鸿与鹤，飖飏入云飞。 Cliffs, Sun, and a Daylight Moon Arise The word goes forth, and a woodsmen Cast their nets for feathers, red, green and blue. For what? For beauties, immured by painted screens, To pass their hours aimlessly. Though their cages shimmer, sunlit gold, Their plumage fades their eyes, shaded. No longer scan the flock of wild swans, White and soaring into the racing clouds. （Peter Stambler 译） Parrots live in western lands hunters bring them back in nets courtesans tease them dawn to dusk somewhere behind palace curtains they’re given a golden cage but locked away their plumage fades not like wild geese and swans flying up in the clouds （Red Pine 译） The parrot’s home is the Western land, But with forester’s snare it can be caught and brought here. The beautiful women will play with it night and day; In and out it will go, amid their rooms’ screens. As a gift, a gold cage to store it away; Locked in! It will lose its feathered clothes1. Much better to be a goose or a crane, Soaring and drifting up in the clouds. Yü-i(“feathered clothes”) are things the immortals wear. It comes to mean…...