李白

长相思
在长安
络纬秋啼金井阑
微霜凄凄簟色寒
孤灯不明思欲绝
卷帷望月空长叹
美人如花隔云端
上有青冥之高天
下有渌水之波澜
天长地远魂飞苦
梦魂不到关山难
长相思
摧心肝

日色欲尽花含烟
月明欲素愁不眠
赵瑟初停凤凰柱
蜀琴欲奏鸳鸯弦
此曲有意无人传
愿随春风寄燕然
忆君迢迢隔青天
昔日横波目
今作流泪泉
不信妾断肠
归来看取明镜前

Hmm, some of my favourites have been posted.

过零丁洋

辛苦遭逢起一经
干戈寥落四周星
山河破碎封抛絮
身世飘摇雨打萍
皇恐摊头说皇恐
人生自古谁无死
留取丹心照汗青

－－文天祥

荆轲
易水歌

风萧萧兮易水寒，壮士一去兮不复还。

and also...
苏轼‘s 水调歌头

鄭板橋
難得糊塗

聰明難 ,糊塗尤難
由聰明轉入糊塗更難
放一著, 退一步
當下心安
非圖後來福報也

问君何意栖碧山，
笑而不答心自闲。
桃花流水盲然去，
别有天地在人间。

For what reasons does he dwell among the azure mountains?
He answers not, smiling, heart free and at ease.
Let the streams flow freely away by the peach blossoms,
For there exists another Heaven and Earth among the realm of men.

瑶池阿母绮窗开，
黄竹歌声动地哀。
八骏日行三万里，
穆王何事不重来？

The silk windows by the pearl pond are opened and the Western Queen Mother glances out,
As the Songs of Yellow Bamboo moves the earth with their deep sadness.
The eight divine horses can gallop thirty thousands miles in a day,
So what is keeping the King Mu of Zhou from visiting again?

(The Western Queen Mother is a figure in ancient Chinese mythology, she is generally believed to live near the Kunlun mountains, between today's Xinjiang and Tibet. The Songs of Yellow Bamboo were created by King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty as according to folklore, once when he was on an inspection tour around the country, he saw people freezing to death, so he wrote their songs to express his deep sadness. According to legend, King Mu of Zhou possessed eight divine horses that can move thirty thousand Chinese miles in a day. History records that King Mu of Zhou once led an expedition to the western regions, near the Kunlun Mountains. Legend says the King met the Western Queen Mother there. He agreed to visit again in the future, but passed away before he could do so)

誓扫匈奴不顾身，
五千貂锦丧胡尘。
可怜无定河边骨，
犹是春闺梦里人。

Determined to sweep away the Huns, they cared not for their own lives,
Five thousand elite troops in furcoats perished among the barbarian dust.
How sad it is to think that these exposed skeletons by the River Wuding,
Were once lovers in their young wives' spring dreams.

(River Wuding is in today's Inner Mongolia. Elite regiments during the Han Dynasty often wore furcoats)

岁岁金河复玉关，
朝朝马策与刀环。
三春白雪归青冢，
万里黄河绕黑山。

Year after year it's the same Golden River and Jade Fort,
Day after day it's the identical horse whip and broad sword.
Snow returns to the Azure Grave during the late spring season,
Among the ten-thousand mile Yellow River around the Black Mountain.

(Golden River: In today's Inner Mongolia; Jade Fort: Jade Gate Fort, in today's Gansu Province, Azure Grave: refers to the grave of Wang Zhaojun, who married a Xiongnu chieftain during the Western Han Dynasty; Late spring season: I.e. March, the third month of the year)

作为一个艺术爱好者，我的最爱：

清平调三首
李白

云想衣裳花想容，春风拂槛露华浓。
若非群玉山头见，会向瑶台月下逢。

一枝红艳露凝香，云雨巫山枉断肠。
借问汉宫谁得似，可怜飞燕倚新妆。

名花倾国两相欢，常得君王带笑看。
解释春风无限恨，沉香亭北倚阑干。




作为一个中国人，我的最爱：

示儿
陆游

死去元知万事空，但悲不见九州同。
王师北定中原日，家祭无忘告乃翁。

过零丁洋

文天祥

辛苦遭逢起一经，干戈廖落四周星。
山河破碎风飘絮，身世浮沉雨打萍。
惶恐滩头说惶恐，零丁洋里叹零丁。
人生自古谁无死，留取丹心照汗青。

Caltrop is a thistle

Sorry I can't write chinese.


The courtyard is hot in the afternoon sun.
My old friend the brown lizard,
Pauses to exchange views on eternity.
I search the sky in vain for a cloud.

The paper is empty, waiting,
The ink dries on the stone.
I lay down my brush,
Content to watch the swallows.

One of my favourite poems by Su Dong Po, and frankly I suspect all of you know it:

水调歌头

明月几时有？把酒问青天。
不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。
我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。
起舞弄清影，何似在人间！

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。
不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？
人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。
但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。


Here follows my translation, please try not to laugh and I appreciate any corrections!


When do we have full moons? I raise my wine in question to heaven.

One wonders in the palace of the celestials, what year this moment may be.

I long to be carried by the winds to return there, yet fear the cold of the lofty heights of the crystal stairs and Jade rooms.

As I dance with my clear shadow, oh is this indeed the realm of man!

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。 (This line I not sure, can someone help?)

There should not be hate, Oh why is the moon round when we are apart?

Mankind have sorrow and joy, seperation and reunion, the Moon wanes and waxes, and this is as is since time of old.

May Man be long-lived, and may we share in the beauty and grace of the world though a thousand Li apart.

Incidentally I first know of this poem through Deng Lijun, although it was not until many years later that I realise the lyrics are actually a poem. I like most of her works which are based on poems, anyone who can provide the lyrics please do, thanks.

Absolutely wonderful!!

While you look, try to open the attachment

.Click to view attachment

I love 李白，辛弃疾，毛泽东。I love almost every poem from them.

Beside them, of course there are many many great pieces, like this one:
天苍苍，野茫茫，风吹草低见牛羊。

红酥手，黄滕酒，满城春色宫墙柳。东风恶，欢情薄。一杯愁绪，几年离索。错！错！错！

春如旧，人空瘦，泪痕红溢鲛绡透，桃花落，闲池阁。山盟虽在，锦书难托。莫！莫！莫！
　　陆游与表妹唐婉本恩爱夫妻，感情甚笃。但因陆母不喜欢唐婉，终被迫休离。后二人各自婚娶。十年后的一个春日，陆游独游沈园与唐婉邂逅。唐婉以酒肴款待，陆游感伤万分，惆怅不已，随即在园壁上题下此词，抒发了自己内心的眷恋相思之情和无尽的追悔悲愤。唐婉读后百感交集，含泪和词一首：

　　世情薄，人情恶，雨送黄昏花易落。晓风干，泪痕残，欲笺心事，独语斜栏。难、难、难。 人成各，今非昨，病浑常似秋千索。角声寒，夜阑珊，怕人寻问，咽泪装欢。瞒、瞒、瞒。

　　此后郁郁寡欢，怏怏而卒。二词绝望凄楚，缠绵悱恻，感人至深，荡气回肠，催人泪下，唐词尤甚。四十年后，陆游沈园重游，含泪写下《沈园》，以纪念唐婉：
城上斜阳画角哀，沈园非复旧池台， 伤心桥下春波绿，曾是惊鸿照影来。 梦断香消四十年，沈园柳老不吹绵。 此身行作稽山土，犹吊遗踪一泫然。

苏轼《江城子》
乙卯正月二十日夜记梦
十年生死两茫茫，不思量，自难忘。千里孤坟，无处话凄凉。纵使相逢应不识，尘满面，鬓如霜。　　夜来幽梦忽还乡，小轩窗，正梳妆。相顾无言，唯有泪千行。料得年年断肠处，明月夜，短松岗。

Cold Mountain is a house
Without beams or walls
The six doors left and right are open
The Hall is blue sky
The rooms are vacant and vague
The east wall beats on the west wall
At the center not one single thing

Borrowers don't bother me
In the cold I build a fire
When hungry I boil greens
I've got no use for the Kulak
With his barn and pasture
He sets up a prison for himself
Once in he can't get out
Think it over
It could happen to you

Han Shan

李白
怨情
美人捲珠簾，深坐顰蛾眉。
但見淚痕濕，不知心恨誰?




btw, copyright does not apply to work of arts over 100 years old.

Its actually Zu Di <祖狄>not sure if Di is the correct character.
After western Jin fell apart and barbarians took control of the north.(start of age of fragment)
After Liu yuan(a XiongNu) set up Han dynasty and Shi Le(a Jie) set up later zhao dynasty controlling central plains.
Around 330AD. In south China Zu Di organised some refugees into a small force and crossed the YangZe river. Halfway across he hit the water with his oar and yelled that" Until I get rid of all barbarians in the central plains I will not come back across this river." strenghning his men's determination.

This is mine:




Here he is, my good old friend!
He's at Yellow Crane Terrace on a western departure.
And--we're saying goodbye, goodbye.
He's in a cloud of third-month blossoms.
He's off downstream to Yang-chou.
That shadow there is his lonely sail.
Now there's nothing left of it.
All the blue is empty now.
All you can see is that long, long river.
It flows to the edge of the sky.

One by my favourite modern chinese poet (just hoping it gives ideas to others to post more of the New Moon School... hint, hint...).


Perhaps - Wen Yiduo

也許你真是哭得太累，
也許，也許你該睡一睡，
那麼叫夜鷹不要咳嗽，
蛙不要號，蝙蝠不要飛。

不許陽光撥你的眼廉，
不許清風刷上你的眉，
無論誰都不能驚醒你，
撐一傘松蔭庇護你睡。

也許你聽著蚯蚓翻泥，
聽這小草的根鬚吸水，
也許你聽著這般音樂，
比那咒罵的人聲更美。

那麼你先把眼皮閉緊，
我就讓你睡，我讓你睡，
我把黃土輕輕蓋著你，
我叫紙錢兒緩緩的飛。


And an English translation (found at http://www.cipherjournal.com/html/sze.html), but seriouly, you have got to read it (aloud) in chinese...

Perhaps you have wept and wept, and can weep no more.
Perhaps. Perhaps you ought to sleep a bit;
then don’t let the night hawk cough, the frogs
croak, or the bats fly.

Don’t let the sunlight open the curtain onto your eyes.
Don’t let a cool breeze brush your eyebrows.
Ah, no one will be able to startle you awake:
I will open an umbrella of dark pines to shelter your sleep.

Perhaps you hear earthworms digging in the mud,
or listen to the root hairs of small grasses sucking up water.
Perhaps this music you are listening to is lovelier
than the swearing and cursing noises of men.

Then close your eyelids, and shut them tight.
I will let you sleep, I will let you sleep.
I will cover you lightly, lightly with yellow earth.
I will slowly, slowly let the ashes of paper money fly.

Hmm... somewhat morbid... I like.

Thanks for sharing

Absolutely SUPER!

More of the same...

One dedicated to our ABC friends

Laundry song - Wen Yiduo (sorry, I don't have the chinese text...)

(One shirt, two shirts, three shirts,)
Shirts must be washed clean
(Four shirts, five shirts, six shirts,)
Shirts must be ironed smooth.

I can clean handkerchiefs soaked with tears
I can whiten sweaters black with crime
Grease of greed, dirt of desire
And all the filthy things you have at home.
Give them to me to wash, give them to me.

Money smells so, blood smells so
Those dirty things you cannot leave unwashed
Even cleaned laundry will be soiled again.
How can you, men of patience, ignore it?
Wash for them, wash for them!

You Americans say the laundry business is too base
Are Chinamen alone willing to stoop so low?
Yet your preacher tells me
Christ’s father was once a carpenter.
Don’t you believe it? Don’t you believe it?

Soap and plain water can’t make big splashes
Washing clothes is less fine than building battleships
I too ask what splendid future lies in
Sweating blood for other’s sweat?
Would you Americans do it? Would you do it?

Year comes, year goes, the homesick tear falls
Midnight, late night, the laundry lamp glows
Don’t you Americans worry that the job is vile
Just find where it is not clean or smooth, and
Call the Chinaman, call the Chinaman.

I can clean handkerchiefs soaked with tears
I can whiten sweaters black with crime,
Grease of greed, dirt of desire
And all the filthy things you have at home.



*******
And another very famous one...


闻一多 - 死水

这是一沟绝望的死水，
清风吹不起半点漪沦。
不如多扔些破铜烂铁，
索性泼你的剩菜残羹。

也许铜的要绿成翡翠，
铁罐上锈出几瓣桃花；
在让油腻织一层罗绮，
微菌给他蒸出些云霞。

让死水酵成一沟绿酒，
飘满了珍珠似的白沫；
小珠们笑声变成大珠，
又被偷酒的花蚊咬破。

那么一沟绝望的死水，
也就夸的上几分鲜明。
如果青蛙奈不住寂寞，
又算死水叫出了歌声。

这是一沟绝望的死水，
这里断不是美的所在，
不如还给丑恶来开垦，
看他造出个什么世界。


Dead Water

This is a ditch of desperate dead water,
Where wind can blow but raise no ripples.
Best just to throw in more scraps of copper and iron,
Might as well pour in your leftovers of cold porridge.

Perhaps the copper will green into emerald,
Tin cans rusting out stalks of peach blossoms;
Then let the grease weave up a sheet of silk,
While bacteria steam it into the clouds of dawn.

Let the dead water ferment into a ditch of green wine,
Pearl-like whitecaps floating all over;
The laughter of little pearls will turn into large pearls,
Before being bit burst by mosquitoes stealing wine.

So this ditch of desperate dead water
Can just boast of a few degrees of brightness.
And if the frogs can't bear the solitude,
Then just say the dead water will cry out a song.

This is a ditch of desperate dead water,
Which is certainly not where beauty resides,
Best just to give it up for ugliness to cultivate,
And see what kind of world he can turn it into.

My studies in the ancient poetry relate specifically to the study of jade and jade culture. The following is one of my favorites.

芃蘭 pénlán: Sparrow’s Ladle The Sparrow’s Ladle is a Milkweed species that has pods shaped like the prong, a claw or canine tooth-shaped pendant, 佩觽 pèixī. The leaves of the Sparrow’s Ladle are often curled into a shape resembling the 韘shè, the archer’s thumb ring. This poem has distinct sarcastic tone about the overstatement of the claims of men during courtship. The prong is worn by men when they come of marriageable age. The archer’s thumb ring is a symbol of status and achievement of the skills of archery. The 佩韘pèishè is an ornate pendent carved in the style of the archer’s thumb ring. It’s worn as a pendent and not on the thumb. Using a reference to a pendent instead of a thumb ring may be an added touch of sarcasm, because the archer’s thumb ring pendent that is too ornate to be useful as a thumb ring can only be worn as a pendent. These articles will be made of fine jade, jade-like stone, ivory or bone depending on the status of the person in society.

芃蘭之支， The Sparrow’s Ladle is propped up,
péng lán zhī zhī，
童子佩觽。 the lad wears a fine prong.
tóng zĭ pèixī。
雖則佩觽， Despite this handsome prong,
suī zé pèixī，
能不我知。 he cannot know me.
néng bù wŏ zhī。
容兮遂兮， He desires to satisfy,
róng xī suí xī，
垂带悸兮。 but his girdle swings low.
chuí dài jì xī。


芃蘭之葉， Like the Sparrow Ladle’s leaf,
péng lán zhī yè‘
童子佩韘。 the boy wear’s the archer’s thumb ring.
tóng zĭ pèishè。
雖則佩韘， Though his is the pendent thumb ring,
suī zé pèishè，
能不我甲。 He cannot protect me.
néng bù wŏ jiă，
容兮遂兮， He claims to fulfill me,
róng xī suí xī，
垂带悸兮。 But his girdle hangs low.
chuí dài jì xī。

This one is the woman's view of the typical forced marriage. The theme of jade in this one is beautiful women are compared to the subtle off-white mutton fat jade with flesh colored tones and soft silky feel of a woman's skin.

君子偕老 jūn zĭ jié lăo: Growing old with the king. Lament and protest of the beautiful Duchess of Wei, forced to be the mistress of her father in law the king. This poem has a sarcastic, bitter tone.

君子偕老, 副筓六珊。 Growing old with the king,
jūn zĭ jié lăo, fù jī liù shān his wig, hairpin, pearls and jade adorned.
委委佗佗, 如山如河。 Stately and proper, but cool and detached,
wĕi wĕi tuó tuó, rú shān rú hé from the mountain she flows gracefully.
象服是宜。 Her robes please the king.
xiáng fú shì yí.
子之不淑, 云如之何? King’s uncooperative mistress.
zĭ zhī bù shū, yún rú zhī hé? What to do with the duchess?

玼兮玼兮,其之翟也。 Silky soft white jade in pheasant gown.
cuō xī cuō xī, qī zhĭ dí yĕ
鬒发如云,不屑髢也。 Black hair like clouds, not false, her own.
zhĕn fà rú yún, bù xiè dí yĕ
玉之瑱也,象之揥也。 Jade adorns her ears, ivory hairpin.
yù zhī zhèn yĕ, xiàng zhī tì yĕ
扬且之皙也。 Forehead white and open.
yáng qiè zhī xī yĕ.
胡然而天也? 胡然而帝也? Why not the heavens possess?
hú rán ĕr tiān yĕ ? hú rán ĕr dì yĕ? Why not prestigious duchess?

瑳兮瑳兮,其之展也。 Silky soft white jade in flowing dress.
cuō xī cuō xī, qī zhĭ zhăn yĕ
蒙彼绉絺,是绁袢也。 Fine silk robes, with fine hemp cord ornate.
méng bĭ zhòu chī, shì xiè pàn yĕ
子之清扬,扬且之颜也。 Eyes bright and clear, a face captivate
zĭ zhī qīng yáng, yáng qiè zhĭ yán yĕ
展如之人兮,邦之媛也! Fair, though she radiate,
zhăn rú zhī rén xī, bēng zhī yuán yĕ! but the King violate!

A very nice poem (I just love the parallelism between the two strophes). When was it written?

also does 支 (first verse) means branch (as opposed to 葉, leaf, in the second)?

Francois

The two poems are from the 《詩經, 诗经》shījīng – Book of Poetry.

支 is to support or prop up. 枝 is a stick.

The reason the leaf is used here is that the sparrow ladle's leaf curls to resemble an archer's thumb ring.

落花

高閣客竟去 From high tower, sihoullete of the guest is fading
小園花亂飛 In the garden, petals are flying all over the place
參差連曲陌 Zigzagging in continuous crooked patterns
迢遞送斜暉 (Like) bidding farewell to the distant setting sun
腸斷未忍掃 I can't bear to sweep them away
眼穿仍欲歸 (Because) one's eyes always desire that (scene) to return.
芳心向春盡 (When) one contemplates the end of spring
所得是沾衣 He gets but a tear stained robe.

Li Shangyin

Did I totally muck up the translation?

The reason I was wondering was that in old times, radicals were added to distinguish between different meanings of the same word, ie the concrete meaning, "stick" or "beam", and the derived, abstract, one "to support". Now, in old texts, you sometimes have the old writing being used instead of the "new" (with radical) one. I was just curious about whether this could have been such a case (off the top of my head, I think I have seen this with 支, but I cannot remember where...).

Francois

True, I selectively pick poems and writings related to jade, and jade and jade-like stone articles, I use originals if possible and later interpretive works that use more modern charactors. My purpose is to get the interpretation of jade words correct, important jade article terms correct, and than the interpretation and symbolism correct, which I found weak in many translations.

I am interested in your comments and I will go back over my notes and check again. I am also interested in recommendaton of interesting stuff that may be suitable for my study.

Here is an old French translation of the same poem, by Seraphin Couvreur (1896). Couvreur was a Jesuit, who lived in China in the end of the 19th century. He translated a large number of old texts, the Shi Jing, Shu Jing, four books, Zuo Zhuan, and published a dictionnary of classical chinese which is still in print.

1. Ce jeune garçon, qui ressemble à la tige traînante du houan lan, porte à la ceinture un poinçon d'ivoire. Bien qu'il porte un poinçon d'ivoire, je n'ai pas encore découvert sa capacité. Sa tenue est nonchalante et ses manières trop libres ; les extrémités de sa ceinture sont pendantes.

2. Ce jeune garçon, qui ressemble à la feuille du houan lan, porte à la ceinture un doigtier d'ivoire. Bien qu'il porte un doigtier d'ivoire, il ne m'a pas encore fait estimer sa capacité. Nonchalant dans sa tenue et trop libre dans ses manières, il laisse flotter mollement les extrémités de sa ceinture.

Here is an english translation

This young boy is like the hanging shafts of the Wan Lan,
He wears on his belt an ivory prong.
Even though he wears an ivory prong,
I could not find his talents.
Careless in his dress, lax in his manners,
The ends of his belt are hanging.

This young boy is like the leaves of the Wan Lan,
He wears on his belt an ivory thumb ring.
Even though he wears an ivory thumb ring,
He never showed me his talents.
Careless in his dress, lax in his manners,
The ends of his belt are hanging.


And here is Legge's translation (1898), yet another jesuit (they are everywhere...)

There are the branches of the sparrow-gourd ; --
There is that lad , with the spike at his girdle .
Though he carries a spike at his girdle ,
He does not know us .
How easy and conceited is his manner ,
With the ends of his girdle hanging down as they do !

There are the leaves of the sparrow-gourd ; --
There is that lad with the archer's thimble at his girdle .
Though he carries an archer's thimble at his girdle ,
He is not superior to us .
How easy and conceited is his manner ,
With the ends of his girdle hanging down as they do !


It would be interesting to find Ezra Pound's translation of this poem...

Francois

Good old Séraphin Couvreur!
我非常喜歡可是我沒有時間

Thank you for the translations they go with my notes.

Checking my notes I see where you got your interpretation. Poetically questioning the virility of the young man in question, both 'proped up (by a stick)' or 'hanging from a stick' may work okay. The curved prong is phallic symbol and the sparrow's ladle (gourd) resembles this, so 'proped up' still works giving the poem a sarcastic tone.

One thing that is missing from these two poems is subtle, but important difference between a real archer's thumb ring and the pendent thumb ring. The pendent thumb ring is mere decoration and not useful as an archer's thumb ring. She is likely saying, 'Real men wear real archer's thumb rings.

I have the feeling that the French remarkable translation somewhat emphasizes the subtle allusions you have noticed. I wish I could appreciate better the exact emotion the Chinese author tries to convey.

临江仙

晏几道（宋）

梦后楼台高锁
酒醒帘幕低垂
去年春恨却来时
落花人独立
微雨燕双飞

记得小苹初见
两重心字罗衣.
琵琶弦上说相思
当时明月在
曾照彩云归　


The tower was locked after I wake up from the dream
The curtain lower down the time my drinks gone
Only in the spring my complains appear, while now it is another year
I stand lonely , the flower is declining
In the rain, two swallows in the sky are companions

The day we met with each other
She wore double grass-cloths, I heard my heart beating
What I can do is to express my miss in the music played by the string
That time the moon was still there
It shed the light lead the clouds' path adhere

聰明本不難 - 只需打开大海的胸怀
糊塗更不難 - 好好学会小猪睡觉的感觉
放一著 - 用盖茨的美元消费
退一步 - 用拉登的方法逃税
當下心安 - 用南非的阳光晒背

福報本自天上来
谁说糊塗難?

落魄江湖游Gellang，
放放荡荡床头上。
十年一觉白日梦，
赢得青名Puah Chu Kang

(BTW, dun curse me Singaporean)

少年不識愁滋味
愛上歌樓
愛上歌樓
為唱情歌強說愁

而今識盡愁滋味
欲唱還休
欲唱還休
卻来首"原来你也在这里..."

Very nice.
Can you tell us more about this poet 晏几道?

我欣赏“初唐四杰”的送别诗，除伤别之外，尚有一种昂扬的抱负和气概，促使诗的格调变得壮大起来，如王勃的

送杜少府之任蜀州

城阙辅三秦，风烟望五津。

与君离别意，同是宦游人。

海内存知己，天涯若比邻。

无为在歧路，儿女共沾巾。

这是“初唐四杰”送别诗中最有名的一首。虽意识到羁旅的辛苦和离别的孤独，却没有伤感、惆怅，只有真挚的友情和共勉，心境明朗，感情壮阔，有一种好男儿志在四方的英雄气概。

As my English is not good enough to translate well, I abstracted the translation from
http://www.chinapage.org/poem/300poem/t300b.html#092

Wang Bo
FAREWELL TO VICE-PREFECT DU
SETTING OUT FOR HIS OFFICIAL POST IN SHU

By this wall that surrounds the three Qin districts,
Through a mist that makes five rivers one,
We bid each other a sad farewell,
We two officials going opposite ways....
And yet, while China holds our friendship,
And heaven remains our neighbourhood,
Why should you linger at the fork of the road,
Wiping your eyes like a heart-broken child?

Jlaporte,

晏几道 Yan Ji Dao (ca. 1030-ca. 1106.) is the youngest son of Yan Shu 晏殊 (991-1055). He was also the contemporary of Song poets like 黃庭堅 Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), and Su Shi [Su DongPo] (1037-1101). Borned to a relative wealthy family as his father held some senior post in the government, he felt unappreciated (怀才不遇). So he frequently indulged himself with wine and women. His literary style superseded his father, however the content coverage tend to be narrow.

Thanks for the information. I can hardly believe he is 900 years old! Do Chinese ever age, in spite of wine and women?

There is a English version of this poem
It's said that it is translated by an American scholar,Burton Watson.


Ten years, dead and living dim and draw apart.

　　I don't try to remember,

　　But forgetting is hard.

　　Lonely grave a thousand miles off,

　　Cold thoughts, where can I talk them out?

　　Even if we met, you wouldn't know me,

　　Dust on my face,

　　Hair like frost.

　　In a dream last night suddenly I was home.

　　By the window of the little room,

　　You were combing your hair and making up.

　　You turned and looked, not speaking,

　　Only lines of tears coursing down.

　　Year after year will it break my heart?

　　The moonlit grave,

　　The stubby pines.



I've seen another version about this sentence,杯莫停 not 君莫停

人生得意須盡歡，莫使金樽空對月！

就算满樽唐龙酒, 无奈人生苦歡愁。


天生我材必有用，千金散盡還復來。

千金散盡還復來, 为何老天生我用?


古來聖賢皆寂寞，惟有飲者留其名！

飲者聖賢本同名, 众人皆酲我独醉!




與君歌一曲，請君為我側耳聽！

幸会! 幸会!
就来首"但願人长久" ...

Every time i read these, i m overwhelmed by a bitter emotion. Actually, the first time i was exposed to these poetries, i could not help shed tears. I was 14 at that time. From then , i start to learn and fall in love with the classic poems in Tang&Song dynasties. Very glad u also like them.

I m also fond of the poem in Han dynasties and those before Qin. Here is a short poem that a little different from the prevailing styles in its time:

北方有佳人
　　　李延年
北方有佳人，
绝世而独立。
一顾倾人城，
再顾倾人国。
孰不知，倾城与倾国，
佳人难再得！

sorry, i dont know how to translate it into English.

[quote name='bayonet' date='Mar 18 2006, 03:34 PM' post='4796440']
Every time i read these, i m overwhelmed by a bitter emotion. /quote]
Same here. 佳人 can kill you or save you in the same time.
I cannot get either off Wen Yiduo's poetry posted by fcharton ("也許"). Before reading it, I did not even know who Wen Yiduo was!

Jlaporte,

Then, I am glad I am not the only one who cannot gets his mind off Yexu... (I am almost in tears everytime I read it). Here is a poem from one of Wen's contemporaries, named Xu Zhimo (sorry for the use of simplified characters, I could not find a version in fantizi, and was too lazy to type it by myself):

这是一个懦怯的世界：
　容不得恋爱，容不得恋爱！
披散你的满头发，
赤露你的一双脚；
　跟着我来，我的恋爱，

抛弃这个世界
殉我们的恋爱！
我拉着你的手，
爱，你跟着我走；
　听凭荆棘把我们的脚心刺透，
　听凭冰雹劈破我们的头，
你跟着我走，
我拉着你的手，
　逃出了牢笼，恢复我们的自由！

　跟着我来，
　我的恋爱！
人间已经掉落在我们的后背，——
看呀，这不是白茫茫的大海？
白茫茫的大海，
白茫茫的大海，
　无边的自由，我与你与恋爱！

顺著我的指头看，
那天边一小星的蓝——
　那是一座岛，岛上有青草，
　鲜花，美丽的走兽与飞鸟；
快上这轻快的小艇，
去到那理想的天庭——
　恋爱，欢欣，自由——
　辞别了人间，永远！

And a translation into english I found on the internet (don't know who made it... not bad, but again, not reading it in chinese is a crime!)

This is a coward world:
With no room for love,
No room for love!
Let your hair down,
Kick off your shoes;
Come with me, my beloved.
Reject this world
And die for love.

I'll take your hand.
Love, come with me;
The thorns may piece our feet,
The hail may break our heads,
Come with me,
I'll take your hand,
Beyond this cage
Freedom will be ours again.

Come with me,
My love!
The world is now behind us---
Look, is that not the white and shining sea?
The white sea,
The shining sea,
Boundless freedom
Of our love!

In the distance where I point,
In the blue of that small star---
An island, and on that island grass,
Flowers, birds and beasts.
Climb aboards this little skiff,
Row towards that paradise---
Love, joy, freedom---
Bid this world farewell,
For evermore!

More by the same...

偶然

我是天空里的一片云，
偶尔投影在你的波心——
　　你不必讶异，
　　更无须欢喜——
在转瞬间消灭了踪影。

你我相逢在黑夜的海上，
你有你的，我有我的，方向；
　　你记得也好，
　　最好你忘掉，
在这交会时互放的光亮！


Chance

I am a cloud in the sky,
A chance shadow on the wave of your heart.
Don't be surprised,
Or too elated;
In an instant I shall vanish without trace.

We meet on the sea of dark night,
You on your way, I on mine.
Remember if you will,
Or, better still, forget
The light exchanged in this encounter.

I always find it very hard to understand poetry, especially when the metaphors are very abstract. I wonder if it's really ever possible to translate from one language to another without creating an entirely new poem. The sound and rhythm is different and the connotations could be lost or changed. I don't know Chinese but your translation seems interesting and your explanation intriguing. I'm wondering if the meaning is something like this:
All birds fly high and far,
the lonely cloud drifts away,
though I am of Mt. Jing Ting, and
we taste each other's being
calmly watching

Both lovely!
I must learn more about this Xu Zhimo. Please don't tell me he has been murdered by KMT!

For the intellectually impaired, here is a version in Fantizi (piece of cake with the converter that General Zhaoyun gave me. Press Switch) :



這是一個懦怯的世界：
　容不得戀愛，容不得戀愛！
披散你的滿頭發，
赤露你的一雙腳；
　跟著我來，我的戀愛，

拋棄這個世界
殉我們的戀愛！
我拉著你的手，
愛，你跟著我走；
　聽憑荊棘把我們的腳心刺透，
　聽憑冰雹劈破我們的頭，
你跟著我走，
我拉著你的手，
　逃出了牢籠，恢復我們的自由！

　跟著我來，
　我的戀愛！
人間已經掉落在我們的后背，——
看呀，這不是白茫茫的大海？
白茫茫的大海，
白茫茫的大海，
　無邊的自由，我與你與戀愛！

順著我的指頭看，
那天邊一小星的藍——
　那是一座島，島上有青草，
　鮮花，美麗的走獸與飛鳥；
快上這輕快的小艇，
去到那理想的天庭——
　戀愛，歡欣，自由——
　辭別了人間，永遠！