By Chance, Get Together in Yangzhou With Lu Geng, a Friend From Luoyang (In Luoyang We Often Rode Horses Together)
扬 州 偶 会 前 洛 阳 卢 耿 主 簿
楚 塞 故 人 稀
相 逢 本 不 期。
犹 存 袖 里 字
忽 怪 鬓 中 丝。
客 舍 盈 樽 酒
江 行 满 箧 诗。
更 能 连 骑 出
还 似 洛 桥 时？
Yang Zhou Ou Hui Qian Luoyang Lu Geng Zhu Bu
(Ying Wu Qing Er Luoyang Chang You Lian Qi Zhi You)
Chu sai gu ren xi
Xiang feng ben bu qi.
You cun xiu li zi
Hu guai bin zhong si.
Ke she ying zun jiu
Jiang xing man qie shi.
Geng neng lian qi chu
Hai si luo qiao shi?
By Chance, Get Together in Yangzhou With Lu Geng, a Friend
From Luoyang (In Luoyang We Often Rode Horses Together)
Chu border areas rarely have old friends
We met each other by accident.
Still have your letter tucked inside my sleeve
Suddenly realize both of our temples with hair white as silk.
Two travelers empty the wine vessel, cup after cup
Like a flowing river, poems fill up a small box.
Do we still have the ability to go out for a ride
Like when we occasionally rode over the bridges of the Luo River?
Notes:
Luoyang: Major city, and many times an ancient capital.
Chu border: Ancient kingdom of Chu (704-223 BC) that included the current provinces of Hunan and Hubei, and parts of several others.
Luo River: Tributary to the Yellow River in Henan and to the east of the ancient capital city of Chang’an.