Year
This is a poem by Qiwu Qian, the subject of a poem by his friend, Wang Wei, who wrote “Seeing Off Qiwu Qian After Failing the Exam and Returning Home.” Although he may have failed the Imperial Examination, he wrote some good poetry.
My Translation
By Qiwu Qian (692-749) | 綦毋潛 |
Spring, Drifting in Ruoye Creek | 春泛若耶溪 |
The tranquility is unbroken | 幽意 無斷絕 |
And with this, I go and follow what may come | 此去 隨 所偶 |
The evening wind blows and moves my boat | 晚風 吹行 舟 |
Where the flowery path enters the creek’s mouth | 花路 入 溪口 |
Night falls and I move west toward the ravine | 際夜 轉西 壑 |
Beyond the hills I gaze at the Little Dipper | 隔山 望 南斗 |
The deep pond’s haze hovers and overflows | 潭煙 飛 溶溶 |
And falling behind the forest, the moon droops low | 林月 低 向後 |
Life and affairs also overflow with haze | 生事 且 瀰漫 |
And I just long to be an old man grasping my boat’s pole | 願為 持竿 叟 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
綦毋潛 | 綦毋潜 | Qíwú Qián |
春泛若耶溪 | 春泛若耶溪 | Chūn fàn ruò yé xī |
幽意無斷絕， | 幽意无断绝， | Yōu yì // wú duàn jué, |
此去隨所偶； | 此去随所偶； | Cǐ qù // suí suǒ ǒu; |
晚風吹行舟， | 晚风吹行舟， | Wǎn fēng // chuī xíng zhōu, |
花路入溪口。 | 花路入溪口。 | Huā lù // rù xī kǒu. |
際夜轉西壑， | 际夜转西壑， | Jì yè // zhuǎn xi hè, |
隔山望南斗。 | 隔山望南斗。 | Gé shān // wàng nán dǒu. |
潭煙飛溶溶， | 潭烟飞溶溶， | Tán yān // fēi róng róng, |
林月低向後。 | 林月低向后。 | Lín yuè // dī xiàng hòu. |
生事且瀰漫， | 生事且弥漫， | Shēng shì // qiě mí màn, |
願為持竿叟。 | 愿为持竿叟。 | Yuàn wéi // chí gān sǒu. |
Literal Translation
綦毋潛 | Dark-Gray Not Hidden [=Qiwu Qian (692-749)] |
春泛若耶溪 | Spring drift/float if (sound) creek [if (sound) = Ruoye, name of a creek] |
幽意無斷絕， | Tranquil/remote desire not interrupt cut-off |
此去隨所偶； | This depart follow place accidentally |
晚風吹行舟， | Night/evening wind blows moves boat |
花路入溪口。 | Flowers path enter/join creek mouth |
際夜轉西壑， | Edge/meet-with night shift west ravine/gully |
隔山望南斗。 | Separate mountain gaze south Dipper [south Dipper = Little Dipper] |
潭煙飛溶溶， | Deep-pond haze flies overflows overflows |
林月低向後。 | Forest moon hangs-down/droops/low toward behind |
生事且瀰漫， | Life affairs also overflow spreading [overflow spreading= pervades, fills the air, permeated] |
願為持竿叟。 | Desire be hold bamboo-pole old-man |