Autumn Wind Song 秋風辭

Autumn winds kick up, white clouds fly by,

Plants yellow and leaves fall, wild geese return south.

Orchids have their elegance, chrysanthemums, their perfume.

Cherish the beautiful woman one can never forget

Launch the galleon, cross the River Fen

Cut across the current, raise a froth of white caps

Sound the flutes and drums, sing out sea shanties

In our ecstacy our sorrows are so many

How long is youth and then we're old!

Han Wu-ti (140-87 BCE)

秋風起兮白雲飛，

草木黃落兮雁南歸。

蘭有秀兮菊有芳，

懷佳人兮不能忘。

泛樓船兮濟汾河，

橫中流兮揚素波。

簫鼓鳴兮發棹歌，

歡樂極兮哀情多。

少壯幾時兮奈老何！

漢武帝 (140-87 BCE)

Evening: Sent to Chang Chi and Chou Kuang 晚寄張十八助教周郎博士

As the sunlight dims, the view expands,

I return home and relax under the eaves.

The clear weather clouds are like cotton shreds,

The new moon seems a sharpened sickle.

Excitement for the open unbidden starts,

Thoughts of decorum I've long deplored.

I'm alive, we can go hand in hand,

Lamenting that our years are running over.

Han Yü (768-824)

日薄風景曠，

出歸偃前簷。

晴雲如擘絮，

新月似磨鐮。

田野興偶動，

衣冠情久厭。

吾生可攜手，

歎息歲將淹。

韓愈 (768-824)

Mountain Faring 山行

Off high in the cold mountains a stone path slants,

Somewhere deep in those white clouds huts of men.

I'll stop my cart, sit, and cherish the maple wood evening,

Its frosted leaves red as flowers in the second moon.

Tu Mu (803~852)

遠上寒山石徑斜，

白雲深處有人家。

停車坐愛楓林晚，

霜葉紅於二月花。

杜牧 (803~852)

On the Jade Green River . . . 江碧鳥逾白

On the jade green river seagulls look even whiter,

On the azure mountain red flowers appear to burn;

I've watched yet another spring go by,

When will it be the year for my return?

Tu Fu (712-770)

江碧鳥逾白，

山清花欲燃；

今春看又過，

何日是歸年。

杜甫 (712-770)

A Spring Dawn 春曉

Spring sleeping, I missed the dawn;

Everywhere I hear chittering birds.

Last night came sounds of wind and rain;

Fallen blossoms--who knows how many?

春眠不覺曉，

處處聞啼鳥。

夜來風雨聲，

花落知多少？

孟浩然 (689～740)

Egrets 白鷺

Egrets

In frosty garb, snow blossoms, and sapphire beaks

The flock catch fish amidst the shadowy brook

In startled flight they go off to shimmering green peaks

A lone tree's pear blossoms fallen in the night wind

Tu Mu (803-852)

白鷺

霜衣雪花青玉嘴,

群捕魚兒溪影中。

驚飛遠映碧山去，

一樹梨花落晚風。

杜牧 (803-852)

Hut Among the Bamboos 竹里館

Hut Among the Bamboos

Sitting alone in the dark bamboo thicket,

Strumming my lute and repeatedly sighing;

Deep in this grove where no one knows,

The bright moon comes for company.

Wang Wei (701-761)

竹里館

獨坐幽篁裡

彈琴復長嘯

深林人不知

明月來相照

王維 (701-761)

Stopping Over on the Jiande River

My bobbing boat moored to a misty bank,

The sun sets and this traveler longs anew.

O'er broad fields heavens descend upon the trees,

As on the crystal river the moon approaches man.

Meng Hao-jan (691-740)

宿建德江

移舟泊烟渚，

日暮客愁新。

野旷天低树，

江清月近人。

孟浩然 (691-740)

A Pair of Yellow Orioles 兩個黃鸝

A pair of yellow orioles

sing in the emerald willow,

A line of white egrets

ascends to the azure sky,

My window holds

the ever snow-capped West Range,

My door anchors

the 10,000-league ships of East Wu

Tu Fu (712-770)

兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳,

一行白鷺上青天.

窗含西嶺千秋雪,

門泊東吳萬里船.

杜甫 (712-770)

Thinking of My Brothers in Shandong on the Double Nine 九月九日憶山東兄

As a stranger alone in this strange land,

When there's a festival, I think often of my family.

I know from afar my brothers are climbing the heights,

All pinning on dogwood sprigs, less one man.



Wang Wei




九月九日憶山東兄*


獨在異鄉為異客,

每逢佳節倍思親.

遙知兄弟登高處,

遍插茱萸少一人.


王維

* The Double Nine Festival occurred on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. The number nine in Taoism was associated with yang, the male principle, and so it was a masculine festival. A tradition was for men to climb to the heights and sun themselves, the sun being a yang element. It was considered to be good for one's health on the Double Nine to pin a sprig of the cornel dogwood (Cornelis officinalis) to one's gown.

Deer Cottage 鹿柴

Deserted mountain--I see no one,

But I hear sounds of peoples' voices;

The returning bright, enters my deep wood

Again to shimmer on the green lichen .

Wang Wei (701-761)

鹿柴

空山不見人,

但聞人語響,

返景入深林,

復照靑苔上

王維 (701-761)