Deer Woods
Deer Woods
Wang Wei (692-761)Deserted woods — and no one here to see,
Yet still out there I hear the words of spite;
Returning deep within the woods, a scene:
A patch of green shade moss reflects the light.
| Chinese 鹿柴 王維 空山不見人 但聞人語響 返景入深林 復照青苔上 | Pronunciation Lù Chái Wáng Wéi |
Watching the Plum Blossoms
Watching the Plum Blossoms
Lu You (1125-1209)The plum trees bloom above the gold grass hill —
Though old, a man cannot enjoy their fluff?
Light mist, the moon, the far-off cattle still —
There’s life and death; don’t fret the common stuff.
| Chinese 看梅絕句 陸游 梅花樹下黃茆丘 古人尚能愛花不 月淡煙深聽牧笛 |
For Li Ju, Scholar
For Li Ju, Scholar
Sikong Tu (~720–790)
The winds blow high before the five long peaks
To bring the life that lifts us from our flaws;
For miles around, no clouds – a lonely crane –
It seems the same, but he’s in heaven’s jaws.
Wandering to a New Town
Wandering to a New Town
Li Shunxian (~ 910)Life’s carriage takes me quick to heaven’s light,
But here I pause to part this world of dust;
Alone, afraid, pursuing dreams of flight,
Yet here I’m old with dread, and leave I must.
| Chinese 隨駕遊青城 李舜弦 因隨八馬上仙山 頓隔塵埃物象閑 隻恐西追王母宴 卻憂難得到人間 | Pronunciation |
Farewell to Meng Haoran
My dear old friend who’s parting West
Beneath the Yellow Towers;
While falling on the Yangzhou lands
Are mists and springtime flowers.
Your orphan boat’s a distant shade,
That sails where blue skies go;
I look upon the water tides—
Until the end they flow.
By Li Bai, tr. from the Chinese by Frank Watson
送孟浩然之廣陵
故人西辭黃鶴樓，
煙花三月下揚州。
孤帆遠影碧空盡，
惟見長江天際流。
李 白
Miscellaneous Verse
You who’ve come and seen my hometown hue
Would know the news from there, I must presume:
That day you left, outside the window view,
Had winter’s plums begun to wear their bloom?
