Year
Meng followed a secluded life in his early years. At age 40, he went to take the imperial exam but failed. Then, he wanted to live the life of the famous historical Han Dynasty hermit, Sir Pang, and built himself a place in Lumen Mountain.
Translation
By Meng Haoran (689-740) | 孟浩然 |
Song of a Night Return to Lumen Mountain | 夜歸鹿門山歌 |
A mountain temple the bell tolls daylight turns to dusk | 山寺 鐘鳴 晝已昏 |
Yuliang the ferry pier cantankerous, noisy crossing | 漁梁 渡頭 爭渡喧 |
People follow the sand road toward the river village | 人隨 沙路 向江村 |
I too take this boat returning to Lumen | 余亦 乘舟 歸鹿門 |
Lumen— the moon shines lifting the fog, exposing the trees | 鹿門 月照 開煙樹 |
Suddenly arriving at the Honorable Pang’s secluded residence | 忽到 龐公 棲隱處 |
A cave door a pine path— long, desolate, deserted | 巖扉 松徑 長寂寥 |
Nevertheless there are secluded people and this is where I go | 惟有 幽人 自來去 |
Notes:
1. Poet Meng is most famous for 5-character poems, this is a 7-character poem, which actually isn’t his specialty.
2. Yuliang Ferry, very close to Lumen.
3. From daytime to dusk, then to the tranquil moonlight; from the noisy ferry to the quiet Lumen temple; These are in line with Meng’s internal path, from the noisy mundane to the lonesome hermit life in the nature.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
孟浩然 | 孟浩然 | Mèng hào rán |
夜歸鹿門山歌 | 夜归鹿门山歌 | Yè guī lù mén shān gē |
山寺鐘鳴晝已昏， | 山寺钟鸣昼已昏， | Shān sì zhōng míng zhòu yǐ hūn, |
漁梁渡頭爭渡喧； | 渔梁渡头争渡喧; | Yú liáng dù tóu zhēng dù xuān; |
人隨沙路向江村， | 人随沙路向江村， | Rén suí shā lù xiàng jiāng cūn, |
余亦乘舟歸鹿門。 | 余亦乘舟归鹿门。 | Yú yì chéng zhōu guī lù mén. |
鹿門月照開煙樹， | 鹿门月照开烟树， | Lù mén yuè zhào kāi yān shù, |
忽到龐公棲隱處； | 忽到充公栖隐处; | Hū dào chōng gōng qī yǐn chù; |
巖扉松徑長寂寥， | 岩扉松径长寂寥， | Yán fēi sōng jìng zhǎng jì liáo, |
惟有幽人自來去。 | 惟有幽人自来去。 | Wéi yǒu yōu rén zì lái qù. |
Literal Translation
孟浩然 | Elder-brother Grand Shape=Meng Haoran(689-740) |
夜歸鹿門山歌 | Night return Deer Door Mountain song [Deer Door Mountain= Lumen Mountain, in Xiangyang, Hubei Province] |
山寺鐘鳴晝已昏， | Mountain temple bell tolls daytime already dusk |
漁梁渡頭爭渡喧； | Fishing Bridge Ferry head/pier compete/dispute ferry/cross noisy/clamor [Fishing Bridge Ferry= Yuliang Ferry, very close to Lumen] |
人隨沙路向江村， | People follow sand road towards river village |
余亦乘舟歸鹿門。 | I also take boat return Lu Men |
鹿門月照開煙樹， | Lu Men moon shine open fog/mist tree [open fog/mist tree= the tree was originally engulfed by the mist, but under the moonlight, the tree is visible again.] |
忽到龐公棲隱處； | Suddenly arrive Huge Honorable-title(gentleman) reside seclude place [Huge Honorable-title(gentleman)= Sir/Honorable Pang, a hermit in Han Dynasty] |
巖扉松徑長寂寥， | Rock/cliff/cave door pine path long lonesome/still/silent/desolate scattered/solitary/empty/deserted [lonesome scattered = lonely, still, desolate] |
惟有幽人自來去。 | Only/but/nevertheless have/there’s quiet/secluded/serene/remote people self come go [quiet people= Sir/Honorable Pang and the Poet himself] |
The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.