This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 古興 (Gǔxìng), ‘Ancient Inspiration’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 常建 (Cháng Jiàn).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

古興
Gǔxìng
[old] [inspiration]
Ancient Inspiration

漢上逢老翁，
Hàn shàng féng lǎowēng,
[Han] [on] [encounter] [old] [elderly man]
On the River Han one encounters old men;

江口為僵屍。
jiāngkǒu wèi jiāngshī.
[river] [mouth] [be] [stiff] [corpse]
at the river mouth they become a stiff corpses.

白髮沾黃泥，
Bái fà zhān huáng ní,
[white] [hair] [moisten] [yellow] [mud]
Their white hair is moistened with yellow mud;

遺骸集烏鴟。
yíhái jí wū chī.
[leave behind] [bones] [gather] [crow] [owl]
their remains attract a gathering of black ravens.

機巧自此忘，
Jīqiǎo zì cǐ wàng,
[cunning][] [from] [this] [forget]
Their cunning one hereafter forgets -

精魄今何之。
jīng pò jīn hé zhī.
[essence] [soul] [today] [what] [it]
where has their spirit gone now?

風吹釣竿折，
Fēngchuī diàogān zhé,
[wind] [blow] [fishing] [pole] [break]
The wind blows and one’s fishing rod snaps;

魚躍安能施。
yú yuè ān néng shī.
[fish] [jump] [how] [can] [carry out]
the fish leaps around – how can one use one’s skills?

白水明汀洲，
Báishuǐ míng tīng zhōu,
[white] [water] [bright] [shoal] [island]
The white water brightens the islet;

菰蒲冒深陂。
gūpú mào shēn pō.
[reeds][] [intrude] [deep] [bank]
reeds encroach on deep banks.

唯留扁舟影，
Wéi liú piānzhōu yǐng,
[only] [leave] [small boat] [boat] [reflection]
All that is left is the shadow of a small boat;

繫在長江湄。
xì zài chángjiāng méi.
[tie] [at] [long] [river] [edge]
one ties it at the edge of the Yangzi.

突兀枯松枝，
Túwù kū sōngzhī,
[towering][] [dried up] [pine] [branch]
Towering high, dried up pine branches;

悠揚女蘿絲。
yōuyáng nǚluó sī.
[draw out] [hoist] [vine][] [thread]
strands of vine are lifted up high.

託身難憑依，
Tuō shēn nán píngyī,
[entrust] [oneself] [difficult] [rely on] [depend on]
Propping up one’s body, it is hard to rely on these things;

生死焉相知。
shēngsǐ yān xiāngzhī.
[life] [death] [how] [each other] [know]
the living and the dead – how can they know each other?

徧觀今時人，
Biàn guān jīnshí rén,
[all] [look] [today] [time] [person]
Widely looking at the people of today,
(徧 = 遍.)

舉世皆爾爲。
jǔshì jiē ěr wèi.
[throughout the world][] [all] [you] [be]
throughout the world, all are like you.

將軍死重圍，
Jiāngjūn sǐ zhòngwéi,
[general] [army] [die] [heavy] [siege]
A general dies and there is a heavy siege;

漢卒猶爭馳。
hàn zú yóu zhēng chí.
[Han] [soldier] [still] [strive for] [rush]
the Han soldiers still compete to be rush forward.

百馬同一銜，
Bǎi mǎ tóngyī xián,
[hundred] [horse] [same] [one] [bit]
A hundred horses on the same bridle;

萬輪同一規。
wàn lún tóngyī guī.
[ten thousand] [wheel] [same] [one] [axle]
ten thousand wheels on the same axle.

名與身孰親，
Míng yǔ shēn shú qīn,
[name] [and] [personal] [who] [intimate]
One’s name or body – which means more to you? -

君子宜固思。
jūnzǐ yí gù sī.
[nobleman][] [hard] [should] [consider]
you, sir, should think hard about this.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Sources and further reading

• 題破山寺後禪院 – 百度百科

Content from East Asia Student: 常建 古興 translation: Ancient Inspiration, by Chang Jian (漢上逢老翁)

Related posts:

• 杜甫 卜居 translation: Divining for a Residence, by Du Fu
• 冉冉孤生竹 translation – Frail Bamboo Growing Alone
• 楊萬里 過揚子江 （其二） translation: Crossing the Yangzi River II, by Yang Wanli

This is a very rough annotation / translation of the poem 岳池農家 (Yuèchí Nóngjiā), ‘The Peasant Houses of Yuechi’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 陸遊 (Lù Yóu).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

岳池農家
Yuèchí Nóngjiā
[Yue] [Chi] [farm] [house]
The Peasant Houses of Yuechi

春深農家耕未足，
Chūn shēn nóngjiā gēng wèi zú,
[spring] [deep] [farm] [home] [plough] [not yet] [enough]
Deep in spring in peasant homes, the ploughing is not yet complete;

源頭叱叱兩黃犢。
yuántóu chì chì liǎng huáng dú.
[source] [head] [splash] [splash] [two] [yellow] [calf]
In the spring water, splashing – two yellow calves.

泥融無塊水初渾，
Ní róng wú kuài shuǐ chū hún,
[mud] [melt] [not have] [piece] [water] [first] [muddy]
The mud melts and is smooth, the surface begins to ripple;

雨細有痕秧正綠。
yǔ xì yǒu hén yāng zhèng lǜ.
[rain] [soft] [have] [trace] [shoots] [upright] [green]
in light rain there are traces of shoots upright and green.

綠秧分時風日美，
Lǜ yāng fēn shí fēng rì měi,
[green] [shoots] [separate] [time] [wind] [sun] [beautiful]
When it is time to transplant the green shoots, the wind and sun are beautiful;

時平未有差科起。
shí píng wèi yǒu chāi kē qǐ.
[time] [peaceful] [not yet] [have] [commission] [levy] [begin]
the times are peaceful – compulsory service has not been levied.

買花西舍喜成婚，
Mǎi huā xī shè xǐ chénghūn,
[buy] [flower] [west] [residence] [joy] [become] [marriage]
Buy flowers – the neighbours to the west have the joy of a marriage;

持酒東鄰賀生子。
chí jiǔ dōng lín hè shēngzǐ.
[hold] [wine] [east] [neighbour] [celebrate] [birth] [son]
take wine – the neighbours to the east celebrate the birth of a son.

誰言農家不入時？
Shéi yán nóngjiā bù rù shí?
[who] [speak] [farm] [home] [not] [enter] [time]
Who says that peasant houses are not fashionable? -

小姑畫得城中眉。
Xiǎogū huà dé chéngzhōng méi.
[young] [girl] [paint] [get] [city] [in] [eyebrow]
young girls have painted eyebrows like those in the city.

一雙素手無人識，
Yī shuāng sùshǒu wúrén shí,
[one] [pair] [plain] [hand] [not have] [person] [know]
A pair of spotless hands like no-one knows;

空村相喚看繅絲。
kōng cūn xiāng huàn kàn sāosī.
[leisure] [village] [each other] [call] [look] [reel cocoon] [thread]
leisurely villagers call each other to look at the silk being reeled from cocoons.

農家農家樂复樂，
Nóngjiā nóngjiā lè fù lè,
[farm] [house] [farm] [house] [happy] [repeat] [happy]
Peasant houses, peasant houses – the happiest of the happy;

不比市朝爭奪惡。
bùbǐ shì cháo zhēngduó è.
[not] [more than] [town] [court] [compete] [strive for] [fierce]
unlike in the towns and courts where they compete and struggle fiercely.

宦遊所得真幾何？
Huànyóu suǒdé zhēn jǐhé?
[official] [travel] [that which] [get] [really] [several] [what]
What one has gained as a travelling official – how much is it really?

我已三年廢東作。
Wǒ yǐ sān nián fèi dōng zuò.
[I] [already] [three] [year] [waste] [east] [be]
I discarded it three years ago to be in the east.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Links and sources

• 岳池农家 – 百度百科

Content from East Asia Student: 陸遊 岳池農家 translation: The Peasant Houses of Yuechi, by Lu You

Related posts:

• 王維 渭川田家 translation: Farm Houses by Wei River (Wang Wei)
• 蘇軾 月夜與客飲酒杏花下 translation: On a Moonlit Night Drinking Wine with a Guest Below the Apricot Blossoms, by Su Shi
• 楊萬里 小泊新豐市 translation: A Small Mooring at Xinfeng City, by Yang Wanli

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 張子野年八十五尚聞買妾述古令作詩 (Zhāng Zǐyě Nián Bāshíwǔ Shàng Wén Mǎi Qiè Shùgǔ Lìngzuò Shī), ‘Still One Hears that Zhang Ziye at Eighty-Five Years Old Has Bought a Concubine; A Poem Requested by Shugu’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 蘇軾 (Sū Shì).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

張子野年八十五尚聞買妾述古令作詩
Zhāng Zǐyě Nián Bāshíwǔ Shàng Wén Mǎi Qiè Shùgǔ Lìngzuò Shī
[Zhang] [Zi] [Ye] [year] [eight] [ten] [five] [still] [hear] [buy] [concubine] [Shu] [Gu] [order] [write] [poem]
Still One Hears that Zhang Ziye at Eighty-Five Years Old Has Bought a Concubine; A Poem Requested by Shugu

錦裡先生自笑狂，
Jǐn lǐ xiānshēng zì xiào kuáng,
[brocade] [in] [mister][] [self] [laugh] [mad]
The gentleman of the capital laughs madly;

莫欺九尺鬢眉蒼。
mò qī jiǔ chǐ bìn méi cāng.
[do not] [fool] [nine] [foot] [sideburns] [eyebrow] [grey]
do not be fooled by his great stature or grey sideburns and eyebrows.

詩人老去鶯鶯在，
Shīrén lǎo qù Yīngyīng zài,
[poet] [person] [old] [go] [Ying] [Ying] [at]
This poet is getting old but Yingying is still there;

公子歸來燕燕忙。
gōngzǐ guīlái yàn yàn máng.
[master][] [return] [come] [swallow] [swallow] [busy]
the master returns and his swallows are busy.

柱下相君猶有齒，
Zhù xià xiāng jūn yóu yǒu chǐ,
[pillar] [under] [minister] [gentleman] [still] [have] [teeth]
The Attendant Censor Chancellor still has teeth;

江南刺史已無腸。
jiāngnán cìshǐ yǐ wú cháng.
[river] [south] [provincial governor][] [already] [not have] [bowel]
the southern Provincial Governor no longer has initiative.

平生謬作安昌客，
Píngshēng miù zuò Ānchāng kè,
[whole life][] [deceive] [be] [An] [Chang] [guest]
All one’s life one has wrongly been the guest of Anchang;

略遣彭宣到後堂。
lüè qiǎn bāngxuān dào hòu táng.
[rather] [send] [peng?] [announce] [go] [back] [hall]
instead I should have been sent to the inner chambers.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Content from East Asia Student: 蘇軾 張子野年八十五尚聞買妾述古令作詩 translation: Still One Hears that Zhang Ziye at Eighty-Five Years Old Has Bought a Concubine; A Poem Requested by Shugu (Su Shi)

Related posts:

• 蘇軾 陌上花 三 translation: Flowers on the Paddy Field Path III, by Su Shi
• 蘇軾 贈狄崇班季子 translation: Presented as a Gift to Di Chongban’s Youngest Son, by Su Shi
• 梅堯臣 夢覺 translation: Waking from a Dream, by Mei Yaochen

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 月夜與客飲酒杏花下 (Yuèyè Yǔ Kè Yǐnjiǔ Xìnghuā Xià), ‘Presented as a Gift to Di Chongban’s Youngest Son’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 蘇軾 (Sū Shì).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

月夜與客飲酒杏花下
Yuèyè Yǔ Kè Yǐnjiǔ Xìnghuā Xià
[moon] [night] [guest] [drink] [wine] [apricot] [flower] [below]
On a Moonlit Night Drinking Wine with a Guest Below the Apricot Blossoms

杏花飛簾散馀春，
Xìng huā fēi lián sàn yú chūn,
[apricot] [flower] [fly] [curtain] [come loose] [remain] [spring]
The apricot blossom flies on to the curtain, scattering the remains of spring;

明月入戶尋幽人。
míngyuè rù hù xún yōu rén.
[bright] [moon] [enter] [door] [seek] [remote] [person]
bright moonlight enters through the door, seeking one who has left.

褰衣步月踏花影，
Qiān yī bù yuè tà huā yǐng,
[lift clothes] [clothes] [step] [moon] [step on] [flower] [shadow]
One lifts one’s clothes to stroll under the moon, stepping in the shadow of the blossom;

炯如流水涵青蘋。
jiǒng rú liúshuǐ hán qīng píng.
[bright] [like] [flow] [water] [contain] [green] [fern]
the light is like flowing water containing green duckweed.

花間置酒清香發，
Huā jiān zhì jiǔ qīngxiāng fā,
[flower] [between] [place] [wine] [clear] [fragrant] [emit]
Amongst the blossom one places one’s wine, a clear fragrance spreads;

爭挽長條落香雪。
zhēng wǎn cháng tiáo luò xiāng xuě.
[strive] [pull] [long] [strip] [fall] [fragrant] [snow]
one strives to pull down a long branch, and the blossom falls like fragrant snow.

山城薄酒​​不堪飲，
Shānchéng bójiǔ​​ bùkān yǐn,
[mountain] [city wall] [thin] [wine] [not] [bear] [drink]
One cannot bear to drink the weak wine from the mountain villages,

勸君且吸杯中月。
quàn jūn qiě xī bēi zhōng yuè.
[urge] [lord] [further] [drink] [cup] [in] [moon]
I urge you, sir, to drink another cup in the moonlight.

洞簫聲斷月明中，
Dòngxiāo shēng duàn yuè míng zhōng,
[hole] [flute] [sound] [break] [moon] [bright] [in]
The sound of the hollow flute stops in the moonlight;

惟憂月落酒杯空。
wéi yōu yuè luò jiǔbēi kōng.
[only] [concern] [moon] [drop] [wine] [cup] [empty]
one only worries that the moon will set or one’s cup will be empty.

明朝卷地春風惡，
Míng cháo juǎn de chūnfēng è,
[bright] [morning] [sweep] [earth] [spring] [wind] [vicious]
In the bright morning they sweep the ground – the spring winds are vicious;

但見綠葉棲殘紅。
dàn jiàn lǜ yè qī cán hóng.
[only] [see] [green] [leaf] [dwell] [remaining] [red]
one only sees the green leaves and remaining patches of red.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Content from East Asia Student: 蘇軾 月夜與客飲酒杏花下 translation: On a Moonlit Night Drinking Wine with a Guest Below the Apricot Blossoms, by Su Shi

Related posts:

• 李白 荊門浮舟望蜀江 translation: Floating on a Boat at Jingmen, Gazing at the Yangzi (Li Bai)
• 蘇軾 宿九仙山 translation: Lodging on Nine Immortals Mountain, by Su Shi
• 李白 將進酒 translation: Bring in the Wine, by Li Bai

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 贈狄崇班季子 (Zèng Dí Chóngbān Jìzǐ), ‘Presented as a Gift to Di Chongban’s Youngest Son’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 蘇軾 (Sū Shì).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

贈狄崇班季子
Zèng Dí Chóngbān Jìzǐ
[present as a gift] [Di] [Chong] [Ban] [youngest son][]
Presented as a Gift to Di Chongban’s Youngest Son

狄生臂鷹來，
Dí shēng bì yīng lái,
[Di] [mister] [arm] [falcon] [come]
Young Di comes with a falcon on his arm;

見客不會揖。
jiàn kè bù huì yī.
[see] [guest] [not] [will] [bow]
he sees the guest but does not greet him.

踞床吒得雋，
Jù chuáng zhā dé juàn,
[crouch] [bed] [boast] [got] [handsome]
he crouches on the bench and boasts of the birds he’s caught;

借箸數禽入。
jiè zhù shù qín rù.
[borrow] [chopstick] [count] [captured] [in]
using chopsticks to count the captured birds.

短後掬豹裘，
Duǎn hòu jū bào qiú,
[short] [back] [grasp] [leopard] [fur]
His short-backed tunic has the pattern of leopard fur;

猶濺猩血濕。
yóu jiàn xīng xuè shī.
[as if] [splash] [ape] [blood] [wet]
it is red as if soaked with ape’s blood.

指呼索酒嘗，
Zhǐhū suǒ jiǔ cháng,
[point] [call] [demand] [wind] [taste]
He gestures and calls out for wine to taste;

快把長鯨吸。
kuài bǎ zhǎng jīng xī.
[happy] [grip] [long] [whale] [drink]
happily he takes it and drinks it like a whale.

半酣論刀槊，
Bàn hān lùn dāo shuò,
[half] [drunk] [speak of] [knife] [spear]
Half drunk he talks of knives and spears;

怒發欲起立。
nù fā yù qǐlì.
[anger] [emit] [want] [rise] [stand]
his anger flares up and he wants to stand.

北方老猘子，
Běifāng lǎo zhì zi,
[north] [place] [old] [mad dog][]
In the north the old mad dogs

狂突尚不縶。
kuáng tū shàng bù zhí.
[mad] [burst out] [still] [not] [tie up]
dash out wildly and are still to be restrained.

要須此慓悍，
Yào xū cǐ piāohàn,
[want] [must] [this] [skill] [brave]
Such skill and bravery as this are required;

氣壓邊烽急。
qì yā biān fēng jí.
[energy] [pressure] [edge] [beacon] [emergency]
he uses his might to suppresses the emergency in the frontiers.

夜走追鋒車，
Yè zǒu zhuī fēng chē,
[night] [go] [pursue] [spear] [cart]
At night he dashes around in a war chariot;

生斬活離級。
shēng zhǎn huó lí jí.
[raw] [behead] [living] [Li] [Ji]
he beheads Liao barbarians alive.

持歸獻天王，
Chí guī xiàn tiānwáng,
[hold] [return] [offer] [heaven] [king]
He brings them back to offer to the heavenly king;

封侯穩可拾。
fēng hóu wěn kě shi.
[bestow] [marquis] [stable] [can] [pick up]
honour is bestowed on him, stability can be obtained.

何為走獵師，
Hé wèi zǒu liè shī,
[what] [for] [go] [hunt] [master]
Why would he be a huntsman

日使群毛泣。
rì shǐ qún máo qì.
[day] [cause] [group] [feather] [sob]
and daily make the birds sob?

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Content from East Asia Student: 蘇軾 贈狄崇班季子 translation: Presented as a Gift to Di Chongban’s Youngest Son, by Su Shi

Related posts:

• Soushenji No. 283 translation: Guo Ju Buries his Son and Obtains Gold
• 杜甫 畫鷹 translation: The Painted Falcon, by Du Fu
• 蘇軾 寓居定惠院之東雜花滿山有海棠一株土人不知貴也 translation: …Dinghui Temple…, by Su Shi

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 陌上花 三 (Mòshàng Huā), ‘Flowers on the Paddy Field Path I’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 蘇軾 (Sū Shì).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

陌上花 三
Mòshàng Huā
[path] [on] [flower]
Flowers on the Paddy Field Path III

生前富貴草頭露，
Shēngqián fùguì cǎo tóu lù,
[life] [before] [rich] [noble] [grass] [head] [dew]
In life the rich and noble are like dew on blades of grass;

身後風流陌上花。
shēnhòu fēngliú mò shàng huā.
[body] [after] [wind] [flow] [paddy field path] [on] [flower]
after death they are outstanding, like flowers on the paddy field path.

已作遲遲君去魯，
Yǐ zuò chí chí jūn qù Lǔ,
[already] [be] [late] [late] [lord] [leave] [Lu]
It is like when Confucius was slowly leaving Lu,

猶教緩緩妾還家。
yóu jiào huǎn huǎn qiè hái jiā.
[still] [teach] [unhurried][] [I] [return] [home]
just as I am instructed to slowly return home.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Sources and further reading

• 陌上花 – 百度百科

Content from East Asia Student: 蘇軾 陌上花 三 translation: Flowers on the Paddy Field Path III, by Su Shi

Related posts:

• 蘇軾 陌上花 二 translation: Flowers on the Paddy Field Path II, by Su Shi
• 蘇軾 陌上花 一 translation: Flowers on the Paddy Field Path I, by Su Shi
• 楊萬里 水中山花影 translation: Reflection of Mountain Flowers in Water, by Yang Wanli

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 陌上花 一 (Mòshàng Huā), ‘Flowers on the Paddy Field Path I’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 蘇軾 (Sū Shì).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

陌上花 一
Mòshàng Huā
[path] [on] [flower]
Flowers on the Paddy Field Path I

陌上花開蝴蝶飛，
Mò shàng huā kāi húdié fēi,
[paddy field path] [on] [flower] [open] [butterfly][] [fly]
On the paddy field path flowers bloom and butterflies fly;

江山猶似昔人非。
jiāng shān yóu sì xī rén fēi.
[river] [mountain] [still] [appear] [former] [people] [not]
rivers and mountains are still here but the people of the past are not.

遺民幾度垂垂老，
Yí mín jǐ dù chuí chuí lǎo,
[leave behind] [people] [several] [time] [gradually][] [old]
The descendents of a former dynasty one by one grown old;
(垂垂 = 渐渐.)

遊女長歌緩緩歸。
yóu nǚ cháng gē huǎn huǎn guī.
[travel] [girl] [long] [song] [unhurriedly][] [return]
the travelling girl’s eternal song remains.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Sources and further reading

• 陌上花 – 百度百科

Content from East Asia Student: 蘇軾 陌上花 一 translation: Flowers on the Paddy Field Path I, by Su Shi

Related posts:

• 蘇軾 陌上花 二 translation: Flowers on the Paddy Field Path II, by Su Shi
• 楊萬里 水中山花影 translation: Reflection of Mountain Flowers in Water, by Yang Wanli
• 蘇軾 六月二十七日望湖樓醉書（其二） translation: Drunken Writings from 27th of the 6th at Wanghu Tower II, by Su Shi

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 題破山寺後禪院 (Tí Pòshān Sì Hòu Chányuàn), ‘Writing of the Meditation Hall of Po Mountain Temple’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 常建 (Cháng Jiàn).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

題破山寺後禪院
Tí Pòshān Sì Hòu Chányuàn
Writing of the Buddhist Hall of Po Mountain Temple

清晨入古寺，
Qīngchén rù gǔsì,
[clear] [morning] [enter] [old] [temple]
In the clear morning one enters this old temple;

初日照高林。
chū rì zhào gāolín.
[first] [sun] [shine] [high] [forest]
the rising sun shines on the tops of the trees.
(See Ron Thuoy’s explanation of this line.)

竹徑通幽處，
Zhú jìng tōng yōu chù,
[crooked] [footpath] [through] [secluded] [place]
A bamboo footpath takes one through to a secluded spot;

禪房花木深。
chánfáng huāmù shēn.
[meditation] [room] [flower] [wood] [deep]
the meditation room is deep in the flowers and trees.

山光悅鳥性，
Shān guāng yuè niǎo xìng,
[mountain] [light] [please] [bird] [nature]
The mountain light makes the birds joyous;

潭影空人心。
tán yǐng kōng rénxīn.
[pool] [reflection] [empty] [person] [heart]
the reflection in the pool empties a human mind.

萬籟此都寂，
Wànlài cǐ dōu jì,
[ten thousand] [music] [here] [all] [silent]
Ten thousand sounds here are all silent;

但餘鐘磬音。
dàn yú zhōng qìng yīn.
[only] [remain] [bell] [chime] [sound]
only the sounds of the bells remain.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Sources and further reading

• 題破山寺後禪院 – 百度百科

Content from East Asia Student: 常建 題破山寺後禪院 translation: Writing of the Meditation Hall of Po Mountain Temple, by Chang Jian

Related posts:

• 常建 古興 translation: Ancient Inspiration, by Chang Jian (漢上逢老翁)
• 王維 過香積寺 translation: Passing the Temple of Stored Fragrance, by Wang Wei
• 楊萬里 水中山花影 translation: Reflection of Mountain Flowers in Water, by Yang Wanli

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 陌上花 二 (Mòshàng Huā), ‘Flowers on the Paddy Field Path II’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 蘇軾 (Sū Shì).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

陌上花 二
Mòshàng Huā
[path] [on] [flower]
Flowers on the Paddy Field Path II

陌上山花無數開，
Mò shàng shān huā wúshù kāi,
[paddy field] [on] [mountain] [flower] [not have] [number] [open]
Countless mountain flowers bloom on the paths between the paddy fields;

路人爭看翠輦來。
lùrén zhēng kàn cuì niǎn lái.
[road] [person] [compete] [look] [blue-green] [carriage] [come]
people on the road vie to look as a jade-green carriage arrives.

若為留得堂堂在，
Ruò wèi liúdé tángtáng zài,
[as if] [be] [leave] [get] [magnificent][] [at]
How can one capture its magnificent presence,

且更從教緩緩歸。
qiě gèng cóngjiào huǎn huǎn guī.
[further] [more] [obey] [cause] [unhurriedly][] [return]
let alone let it slowly return?

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Sources and further reading

• 六月二十七日望湖楼醉书 – 百度百科

Content from East Asia Student: 蘇軾 陌上花 二 translation: Flowers on the Paddy Field Path II, by Su Shi

Related posts:

• 楊萬里 水中山花影 translation: Reflection of Mountain Flowers in Water, by Yang Wanli
• 蘇軾 六月二十七日望湖樓醉書（其二） translation: Drunken Writings from 27th of the 6th at Wanghu Tower II, by Su Shi
• 蘇軾 寓居定惠院之東雜花滿山有海棠一株土人不知貴也 translation: …Dinghui Temple…, by Su Shi

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 六月二十七日望湖樓醉書（其二） (Liùyuè Èrshíqīrì Wànghú Lóu Zuì Shū), ‘Drunken Writings from 27th of the 6th at Wanghu Tower II’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 蘇軾 (Sū Shì).

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments at the end of the page.

六月二十七日望湖樓醉書（其二）
Liùyuè Èrshíqīrì Wànghú Lóu Zuì Shū
[six] [month] [two] [ten] [seven] [day] [Wang] [Hu] [tower] [drunk] [writing]
Drunken Writings from 27th of the 6th at Wanghu Tower II

放生魚鱉逐人來，
Fàng shēng yú biē zhú rén lái,
[release] [life] [fish] [freshwater turtle] [chase] [person] [come]
The re-released live fish and freshwater turtles follow me;

無主荷花到處開。
wú zhǔ héhuā dàochù kāi.
[not have] [master] [lotus] [flower] [arrive] [place] [open]
wild lotus flowers bloom everywhere.

水枕能令山俯仰，
Shuǐ zhěn néng lìng shān fǔyǎng,
[water] [pillow] [can] [make] [mountain] [rise] [fall]
Water as a pillow [below the boat] can make the mountains rise and fall;

風船解與月徘​​徊。
fēng chuán jiě yǔ yuè páihuái.
[wind] [boat] [separate] [with] [moon] [unfirm] [dither]
the wind and boat go freely and hover with the moon.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below.

Sources and further reading

• 六月二十七日望湖楼醉书 – 百度百科

Content from East Asia Student: 蘇軾 六月二十七日望湖樓醉書（其二） translation: Drunken Writings from 27th of the 6th at Wanghu Tower II, by Su Shi

Related posts:

• 蘇軾 六月二十七日望湖樓醉書（其一） translation: Drunken Writings from 27th of the 6th at Wanghu Tower I, by Su Shi
• 蘇軾 李思訓畫長江絕島圖 translation: Li Sixun Paints Cragged Islands on the Yangtze, by Su Shi
• 蘇軾 宿九仙山 translation: Lodging on Nine Immortals Mountain, by Su Shi