Songs of Perched Black Crows
乌 栖 曲
姑 苏 台 上 乌 栖 时
吴 王 宫 里 醉 西 施。
吴 歌 楚 舞 欢 未 毕
青 山 犹 衒 半 边 日。
银 箭 金 壶 漏 水 多
起看秋月坠江波。
东 方 渐 高 奈 乐 何？
Wu Qi Qu
Gu su tai shang wu bi shi
Wu wang gong li zui xi shi.
Wu ge chu wu huan wei bi
Qing shan you xuan ban bian ri.
Yin jian jin hu lou shui duo
Qi kan qiu yue zhui jiang bo.
Dong fang jian gao nai le he?
Songs of Perched Black Crows
Above the Gusu Tower, the season for perched crows
Zui Xishi inside the Wu imperial palace.
Complete happiness, Wu songs and Chu dances
Green mountains, they only dazzle one half of a passing day.
Calibrated silver arrows measure time’s passage within the golden water clocks
Arise to watch the autumn moon drop into the river waves.
Sun rising from the east, how can happiness continue?
Notes:
Gusu Tower: Gusu was the ancient capital of the Wu nation. The tower was located in modern day city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.
Zui Xishi: One of the Four Beauties of ancient China who lived around (771-476 BC). According to legend, she was so beautiful that when she looked into a stream or lake, the swimming fish were so entranced that they would sink to the bottom of the water.
Wu: The nation of Wu existed during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century-473 BC). It consisted of the modern day province of Zhejiang and surrounding areas.