Inside a Bamboo Auditorium
竹 里 馆
独 坐 幽 篁 里
弹 琴 复 长 啸。
深 林 人 不 知
明 月 来 相 照。
Zhu Li Guan
Du zuo you huang li
Tan qin fu chang xiao. Shen lin ren bu zhi
Ming yue lai xiang zhao.
Inside a Bamboo Auditorium
Sitting alone inside a secluded bamboo grove
Playing the qin, making repeated long and strong whistles.
No people aware of this deep forest
Bright moonlight arrives, we echo and illuminate each other.
Notes:
Auditorium: This is best word in English I could come up with to express the Chinese word “guan” (馆) within this particular context. One of the word’s meanings is a “place for cultural activities”. Because he is playing his qin, this is what I believe Wang Wei meant when he chose the word “guan”.
Qin: An ancient stringed musical instrument.