Wang Wei Poem

Wang Wei Wang Wei: His Life Wang Wei was born during the golden years of the Tang Dynasty, in the current city of Puxian, province of Shanxi, in 701, into an aristocratic family. His father, grandfather and great grandfather were all government officials. His mother belonged to a prominent family as well. Wang had at least four younger brothers and one younger sister. Wang’s family background helped especially during the second part of his life, but in the beginning of his governmental career it was more of a hindrance to his advancement. Wang Wei came of age during the reign of emperor Xuanzong, who ruled from 712 to 756. Academically he was a child prodigy. By the age of fifteen Wang went to the capital Chang’an (modern day Xi’an) to study with the famous and well known teachers in order to pass the imperial examinations needed to be assigned a government position. He wrote his first poem in 718 at the age of seventeen. In 720 he sat for the regional examinations, and passed with the highest score. This qualified him to sit for the most difficult test, the jinshi, taken in the capital during the early part of each year by several thousand candidates. Only…...

Wang Wei Wang Wei: Gold Bamboo Mountain Ridge 斤竹岭 檀 奕 映 空 曲青 翠 漾 涟 漪。                                                                                                    暗 入 商 山 路樵 人 不 可 知。 Jin Zhu Ling Tan yi ying kong quQing cui yang lian yi                                                                                                                  An ru shang shan luQiao ren bu ke zhi. Gold Bamboo Mountain Ridge Elegant bamboo contrasts with the remote clearing along a winding pathwayEmerald green waves of ripples upon ripples.                                                     …...

Wang Wei Wang Wei: Longxi Journey 陇西行 十 里 一 走 马五 里 一 扬 鞭.                                                                                                        都 护 军 书 至匈 奴 围 酒 泉.                                                                                                        关 山 正 飞 雪烽 戎 断 无 烟. Long Xi Xing Shi li yi zou maWu li yi yang bian.                                                                                                         …...

Wang Wei Floating on the Pond Out Front 泛前陂 秋 空 自 明 迥况 复 远 人 闻。畅 以 沙 际 鹤兼 之 云 外 山。 澄 波 澹 将 夕清 月 皓 方 闲。此 夜 任 孤 棹夷 犹 殊 未 还。 Fan Qian Bei Qiu kong zi ming jiongKuang fu yuan ren jianChang yi sha ji heJian zhi yun wai shan Cheng bo dan jiang xiQing yue hao fang xianCi ye ren gu zhaoYi yu shu wei huan. Floating on the Pond Out Front Autumn sky naturally bright and distantIt too is far away from the human world.Smooth sand in between the cranesLike these clouds around the mountains. Transparent waves in motion excites sunset lightClear moon lucidity facilitates idleness.This night I take up a solitary oarVacillating mind between beauty and going back. Commentary: The smooth sand between the cranes is typical of an accomplished painter of Wang Wei’s abilities and sensitivities to notice the negative space, kongbai, (空白) between the cranes. So often the ancient Chinese landscape paintings (mountains and rivers) have the kongbai of white clouds hovering in and around the mountains.  This time it is the white sand along the riverbanks. The word “leisure” or “idleness” is often used throughout ancient…...

Wang Wei Wang Wei: Puti Temple 普提寺禁裴迪来相看说逆贼等凝碧池上作音乐供奉人等举声便一时泪下，私成口号诵示裴迪 万 户 伤 心 生 野 烟百 宫 何 日 再 朝 天？                                                                                          秋 槐 叶 落 空 宫 里凝 碧 池 头 奏 管 弦。 Pu Ti Si Jin Pei Di Lai Xiang Kan ShuoNi Zei Deng Ning Bi Chi Shang Zuo Yin Yue Gong Feng RenDeng Ju Sheng Bian Yi Shi Lei Xia, Si Cheng Kou Hao SongShi Pei Di Wan hu shang xin sheng ye yanBai gong he ri zai zhao tian?                                                                                                 Qiu huai ye luo kong gong liNing bi chi tou zou guan xuan. Puti Temple Detention Area, Pei Di Arrives, We See Each Other to Talk to…...

Wang Wei Shen the Fourteenth 沈十四拾遗新竹生读经处同诸公之作 闲 居 日 清 静修 竹 自 檀 栾嫩 节 留 馀 箨新 丛 出 旧 栏 细 枝 风 响 乱疏 影 月 光 寒乐 府 裁 龙 笛渔 家 伐 钓 竿                                                                                                        何 如 道 门 里青 翠 拂 仙 坛. Shen Shi Si Shi Yi Xin Zhu Sheng Du Jing Chu Tong Zhu Gong Zhi Zuo Xian ju ri qing jingXiu zhu zi tan luanNen jie liu yu tuoXin cong chu jiu lan Xi zhi feng xiang luanShu ying yue guang hanYue fu cai long diYu jia fa diao gan He ru dao men liQing cui fu xian tan. Shen the Fourteenth (Who Awaits for the Imperial Examination) Amid New Bamboo Sprouts, Reading Buddhist Sutras With Friends, Then Writing Poetry Together Days spent in still, pure leisureNaturally slender, elegant bamboo, wingceltis and golden rain trees.First year bamboo still with their outer…...

Wang Wei Wang Wei: Luoyang Ladies’ Life Journeys 洛阳女儿行 洛 阳 女 儿 对 门 居才 可 颜 容 十 五 余。良 人 玉 勒 乘 骢 马侍 女 金 盘 脍 鲤 渔。 画 阁 朱 楼 尽 相 望红 桃 绿 柳 垂 檐 向。罗 帷 送 上 七 香 车宝 扇 迎 归 九 华 帐。 框 夫 富 贵 在 青 春意 气 骄 奢 剧 李 伦。自 怜 碧 玉 亲 教 舞不 异 珊 瑚 持 与 人。 春 窗 曙 灭 九 微 火九 微 片 片 飞 花 琐。戏 罢 曾 无 理 曲 时妆 成 只 是 薰 香 坐。 城 中 相 识 尽 繁 华日 夜 经 过 赵 李 家。谁 怜 越 女 颜 如 玉贫 贱 江 头 自 涣 纱。 Luo Yang Nv Er Xing Luo yang Nv er dui men juCai ke yan rong shi wu yuLiang ren yu lei cheng cong maShi Nv jin pan kuai li yu Hua ge zhu lou jin xiang wangHong tao lu liu chui yan xiangLuo wei song shang qi xiang cheBao shan ying gui jiu hua zhang. Kuang fu fu gui zai qing chunYi qi jiao she ju…...

Wang Wei Wang Wei: Zhongnan Mountain Retreat 终南别业 中 岁 颇 好 道晚 家 南 山 陲。兴 来 每 独 往胜 事 空 自 知。 行 到 水 穷 处坐 看 云 起 时。偶 然 值 林 叟谈 笑 无 还 期。 Zhongnan Bie Ye Zhong sui po hao daoWan jia nan shan chui.Xing lai mei du wangSheng shi kong zi zhi. Xing dao shui qiong chuZuo kan yun qi shi.Ou ran zhi lin souTan xiao wu huan qi. Zhongnan Mountain Retreat In middle age partial to the Dao Buddhist doctrineLate in life build a house bordering the Southern Mountains             Passion and joys always seem to arrive when aloneOnly measure of success is knowledge of self. Walk to the river’s sourceFrom time to time sit and watch the clouds arise                                         By chance I met the forest caretaker, a wise old manWe talk and laugh, don’t return for quite some time. Notes:Zhongnan Mountains: near the southern suburbs of the capital city Chang’an River’s source: reference to the poem Peach Blossom Water Source by Tao Yuanming...

Wang Wei Wang Wei: Departure Send Off 送别 下 马 饮 君 酒问 君 何 所 之？ 君 言 不 得 意归 卧 南 山 陲。 但 去 莫 复 问白 云 无 尽 时。 Song Bie Xia ma yin jun jiuWen jun he suo zhi?                                                                                       Jun yan bu de yiGui wo nan shan chui Dan qu mo fu wenBai yun wu jin shi. Departure Send Off Dismount my horse, we drink wine togetherI ask you, where are you going? You reply, to a place without pride or successReturn to the edge of the Southern Mountains and live in seclusion. Just go, and don’t ask again about anythingThe white clouds there are eternal. Notes: Southern Mountains and live in seclusion: This section refers to a very famous poem, Drinking Wine No. 5 by Tao Yuanming.  This poem was my first one posted on this site. White clouds: Literally means something that is free and transitory.  Metaphorically means a state of…...

Wang Wei Deer Park 鹿寨 空 山 不 见 人但 闻 人 语 响。                                                                                                    返 景 入 深 林复 照 青 苔 上。 Lu Zhai Kong shan bu jian renDan wen ren yu xiang.                                                                                                             Fan jing ru shen linFu zhao qing tai shang. Deer Park This poem can be translated with two different viewpoints and outlined below: Empty mountains no people seenYet one can hear human words echo.                                                             …...

Wang Wei Wang Wei: Meal For the Monks of Mt. Fufu 饭覆釜山僧 晚 知 清 浄 理日 舆 人 群 疏。將 侯 遠 山 僧先 期 掃 敝 盧。 果 從 雲 峰 裏顾 我 蓬 蒿 居。藉 草 飯 松 屑焚 香 看 道 書。 然 燈 書 欲 盡鸣 磬 夜 方 初。已 悟 寂 蔿 樂此 生 閒 有 余 . 思 歸 何 必 染？ 身 世 猶 空 虚。 Fan Fu Fu Shan Seng Wan zhi qing jing liRi yu ren qun shu.Jiang hou yuan shan sengXian qi sao bi lu. Guo cong yun feng liGu wo peng hao ju.Ji cao fan song xieFen xiang kan dao shu. Ran deng shu yu jinMing qing ye fang chu.Yi wu ji wei leCi sheng jian you you .                                                                                                                  Si gui he bi ran ?              …...

Wang Wei Wang Wei: White Hair Chant 歎白髪 宿 昔 朱 颜 成 暮 齿须 臾 白 髪 变 垂 髫。 一 生 几 许 伤 心 事不 向 空 门 何 處 销。 Tan Bai Fa Su xi zhu yan cheng mu chiXu you bai fa bian chui tiao                                                                                                      Yi sheng ju xu shang xin shiBu xiang kong men he chu xiao White Hair Chant Old red face achieved at a late ageNoticed white hair changing from early childhood All one’s life, several places with troubles that break the mind-heartBeing partial to the door of Emptiness is what atones and cancels Notes: Kongmen (空门): Literally means the door or gateway to emptiness. It is another Chinese name for Buddhism. One enters this door or gate when committing to the teachings of the Buddha.  When the Buddha realized enlightenment, and then shared it with the world, it has been called the…...