Poems

Original Text

谁道闲情抛弃久？
每到春来，惆怅还依旧。
日日花前常病酒，不辞镜里朱颜瘦。
河畔青芜堤上柳。
为问新愁，何事年年有？
独立小桥风满袖，平林新月人归后。

Annotated

Translation

Translation by James J. Y. Liu,
From The Art of Chinese Poetry

Who says that this idle feeling has long been left aside?
Whenever spring comes, my melancholy returns as before.
Every day, before the flowers, I'm ill with too much drinking, 
Yet dare I refuse to let my image in the mirror grow thin?

O you green grass by the river and willows on the dam, 
Pray tell me: why does new sorrow arise with each year?
Alone on a little bridge I stand, my sleeves filled with wind;
The new moon rises above the woods and everyone else is gone. 

Original Text

人闲桂花落，夜静春山空。
月出惊山鸟，时鸣春涧中。

Annotated

Translation

Translation by Cai Zongqi,
from How to read Chinese poetry: a guided anthology

Man quiet: sweet osmanthus falls
Night tranquil: the spring mountain empties
The rising moon startles mountain birds
Which call awhile in the spring stream

Original Text

红藕香残玉簟秋，轻解罗裳，独上兰舟。
云中谁寄锦书来？雁字回时，月满西楼。
花自飘零水自流，一种相思，两处闲愁。
此情无计可消除，才下眉头，却上心头。

Annotated

Translation

Translation by Eugene Eoyang, 
From Women writers of traditional China : an anthology of poetry and criticism

The scent of red lotus fades: the jade mat feels autumnal.
Gently loosening the silk gown,
I board the orchid boat alone.
Who's sending a gilded message in the clouds?
When the migrating geese bring word
The moon will be full in the Western chamber.
Flower petals drift down, the river flows.
One kind of longing
In two places: idle melancholy. 
No way to dispel these feelings.
For just when they brim the eyes,
They go straight to the heart.

Original Text

新裂齐纨素，皎洁如霜雪。
裁作合欢扇，团团似明月。
出入君怀袖，动摇微风发。
常恐秋节至，凉飙夺炎热。
弃捐箧笥中，恩情中道绝。

Annotated

Translation

Translation by David R. Knechtges,
From Women writers of traditional China : an anthology of poetry and criticism

Newly
 cut 
white 
silk 
from 
Qi,























Glistening 
and 
pure
 as 
frost 
and 
snow:























Fashioned
 into 
a
 fan 
of
 "conjoined
 bliss,"
















Round,
round
 as 
the
 bright
 moon.























It
 goes 
in 
and
 out 
of
 my 
lord's
 breast 
and
 sleeve;























Waved, 
it
 stirs
 a 
gentle 
breeze.























But 
I 
always 
fear
 autumn's
 coming,














When 
chilling 
winds 
dispel
 blazing 
heat.























Then 
it 
will 
be 
thrown 
into
 a
 box,























And
 his
 love
 will
 be 
cut 
off 
midcourse.

Original Text

玉阶生白露，夜久侵罗袜。
却下水晶帘，玲珑望秋月。

Annotated

Translation

Translation by David Hinton, 
from Classical Chinese Poetry: An Anthology

Night long on the jade staircase, white
dew appears, soaks through gauze stockings.
She lets down crystalline blinds, gazes out
through jewel lacework at the autumn moon.

Original Text

云母屏风烛影深，长河渐落晓星沉。
嫦娥应悔偷灵药，碧海青天夜夜心。

Annotated

Translation

Translation by Cai Zongqi, 
from How to read Chinese poetry: a guided anthology

Behind the mica screen, candles cast deep shadows
The Great River slowly sinks, and dawn stars are drowned 
Chang-e must regret stealing the elixir—
Over blue sea, in dark sky, thinking night after night

Coming soon…

Content soon to be filled!

By Li Bai [Tang Dynasty]

Original Text

床前明月光，疑是地上霜。

举头望明月，低头思故乡。

Annotated

Translation

My Own Translation:

Before my bed, moonlight on the ground,
Silver shines that I first thought to be frost.
My head lifts, as I gaze at the moon,
My head lowers, as I start missing home. 

By Du Fu [Tang Dynasty]

Original Text

剑外忽传收蓟北，初闻涕泪满衣裳。

却看妻子愁何在，漫卷诗书喜欲狂。

白日放歌须纵酒，青春作伴好还乡。

即从巴峡穿巫峡，便下襄阳向洛阳。

Annotated

Translation

Translation by Stephen Owen

Hearing That the Imperial Army Has Retaken HeNan and HeBei

Beyond Swordgate the news suddenly comes that we've recaptured Jibei,
on first hearing it, tears cover my clothes.
I look around to my wife and children, what sadness remains?
I carelessly roll up poems and writing almost mad with delight.
White-haired, I sing out loud, I should drink ale as please,
with green spring as companion it's just right for going home.
I'll go right down through the Ba Gorges, thread my way through the Wu Gourges,
then on down to Xiangyang, where I'll head to Luoyang.

(From Du, F., & Owen, S. (2016). The poetry of Du Fu =: Du Fu shi.)