“Study Room in the Valley’s Mouth: To Imperial Advisor Yang” (300 Tang Poems #139)

Year

Fri, 2012-06-15 12:00

Translation

Qian Qi (710-782)	錢起
Study Room in the Valley’s Mouth: To Imperial Advisor Yang	谷口書齋寄楊補闕

A water spring and ravine, they hold my thatched-roof cottage,	泉壑帶茅茨
While rosy clouds give birth to a screen of climbing figs.	雲霞生薜帷
Bamboo holds dear the fresh rain that came	竹憐新雨後
And the mountain loves the twilight setting sun.	山愛夕陽時
A leisurely heron perches every morning	閒鷺棲常早
And autumn flowers drop, ever slowly.	秋花落更遲
Our household servant sweeps the moss from the path	家僮掃蘿徑
So I can be with my old friend.	昨與故人期

Commentary

Qian Qi wrote this poem for the purpose of inviting friends, depicting the beautiful scenery around his house. An interesting aspect of the poem is the personification of nature: the surrounding scenery holds the poet’s cottage, red clouds give birth to climbing figs, bamboo holds dear the fresh rain, and the mountain loves the setting sun. It also shows a great contrast of colors and images.

Original Chinese

Traditional	Simplified	Pronunciation

錢起	钱起	Qián Qǐ
谷口書齋寄楊補闕	谷口书斋寄杨补阙	Gǔ kǒu shū zhāi jì yáng bǔ què

泉壑帶茅茨，	泉壑带茅茨，	Quán hè dài máo cí，
雲霞生薜帷。	云霞生薜帷。	Yún xiá shēng bì wéi。
竹憐新雨後，	竹怜新雨后，	Zhú lián xīn yǔ hòu，
山愛夕陽時。	山爱夕阳时。	Shān ài xī yáng shí。
閒鷺棲常早，	闲鹭栖常早，	Xián lù qī cháng zǎo，
秋花落更遲。	秋花落更迟。	Qiū huā luò gēng chí。
家僮掃蘿徑，	家僮扫萝径，	Jiā tóng sǎo luó jìng，
昨與故人期。	昨与故人期。	Zuó yǔ gù rén qī。

Literal Notes

錢起	Money Rise [Qian Qi (710-782)]
谷口書齋寄楊補闕	Valley/ravine/gorge Mouth/entrance book study to Yang/willow Mend Watch-tower [Valley Mouth = an ancient place name; it is now located in the northwest of Jingyang county, Shanxi province], [book study = a room used for reading and writing], [Mend Watch-tower = Imperial Advisor, an ancient official title. Its main duties are giving the emperor suggestions and recommending talented people. Yang’s full name and life story are unknown.]

泉壑帶茅茨，	Spring bed-of-torrent/narrow-ravine carry/take-along/area/zone reeds/rushes to-thatch(a roof) [Spring bed-of-torrent = landscape], [carry = the landscape surrounds the view, the study room, as if touching or carrying it.]
雲霞生薜帷。	Clouds rosy-clouds life/living/give-birth evergreen-shrubs tent/curtain/screen [evergreen-shrubs tent = a curtain/tent/screen woven with climbing figs. As the climbing fig has fragrant smell, it is often viewed as a symbol of noble character (and of a hermit) since the Songs of Chu. The red-colored clouds contrast with the green shrubs and curtains, providing a multi-colored scenery.]
竹憐新雨後，	Bamboo love/pity/sympathize new/fresh rain behind/after [This line means the bamboo is lovelier after the rain.]
山愛夕陽時。	Mountain/hill love/fond-of evening/night/dusk light/sun time/season [Evening light = sunset. This line means the mountain scenery is lovelier at sunset.]
閒鷺棲常早，	Leisure/idle/peaceful/tranquil heron perch frequently/regularly early/morning
秋花落更遲。	Autumn/fall flowers/blossoms fall/drop more/still-further late/tardy/slow
家僮掃蘿徑，	House boy-servant sweep/clear-away type-of-creeping-plant/turnip narrow-path [sweep type-of-creeping-plant narrow-path = In ancient China, cleaning a path was a move to show welcome.], [type-of-creeping-plant = usnea, a pale-green or gray, moss-like fungus and algae. In classic Chinese literature, climbing figs and usnea were symbols of hermits due to the Songs of Chu.]
昨與故人期。	Former-times with old man/friend appointment [The last two lines mean the servant cleaned the path covered with usnea, for the author has made an appointment with an old friend.]

Rating