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)