February 2023

Ch’en Liang: Tune: “The Beautiful Lady Yu” Spring Sorrow ~ 《虞美人·春愁》 陈亮 with English Translations

《虞美人·春愁》是南宋词人陈亮创作的一首词。词人在这首词里发出了年华易逝,壮志难酬的感慨,寄寓了作者的经邦济世的思想抱负。在艺术手法上,全词运用比兴,层层勾勒,构成了深曲凄凉的意境,具有感人的力量。 《虞美人·春愁》 陈亮 东风荡扬轻云缕。 时送萧萧雨。 水边台榭燕新归。 一口香泥湿带、落花飞。 海棠糁径铺香绣, 依旧成春瘦。 黄昏庭院柳啼鸦。 记得那人和月、折梨花。 Tune: “The Beautiful Lady Yu” Spring Sorrow Ch’en Liang The east wind whirling, light clouds in strands, The season sends whistling rain. To the pavilion next to the pond the swallows have recently returned; With a beakful of fragrant mud, Its moisture containing faded […]

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Liu Zongyuan: An Early Morning Visit to the Buddhist Priest Chao to Read the Chan Scriptures ~ 《晨诣超师院读禅经》 柳宗元 with English Translations

《晨诣超师院读禅经》是唐代文学家柳宗元的作品。这是一首抒写感想的抒情诗。此诗写出晨读禅经的情景和感受,曲折地表达了埋藏在心底的抑郁之情,抒发了诗人的哲学见解。前半部写诗人到禅院读经,指责世人追逐的乃是那些荒诞的事情,而不去了解佛经的真正含义。后半部写他认为佛家的精义与儒家之道有相通之处,但如何修养本性,却难以精熟。然而,他对禅院的清静幽雅却流连玩赏。全诗描写了习禅的心境,以及深得禅趣那种轻松、愉悦、闲适的心态。 《晨诣超师院读禅经》 柳宗元 汲井漱寒齿,清心拂尘服。 闲持贝叶书,步出东斋读。 真源了无取,妄迹世所逐。 遗言冀可冥,缮性何由熟。 道人庭宇静,苔色连深竹。 日出雾露余,青松如膏沐。 淡然离言说,悟悦心自足。 An Early Morning Visit to the Buddhist Priest Chao to Read the Chan Scriptures Liu Zongyuan Drawing water from the well, I rinse my cold teeth, Brushing my dusty gown, I purify my mind. Quietly I open the Tree-Leaf Book of Sutra, And reading, I

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Liu Zongyuan: An Old Fisherman ~ 《渔翁》 柳宗元 with English Translations

《渔翁》是唐代文学家柳宗元创作的一首山水小诗。此诗通过渔翁在山水间获得内心宁静的描写,表达了作者在政治革新失败、自身遭受打击后寻求超脱的心境。全诗就像一幅飘逸的风情画,充满了色彩和动感,境界奇妙动人。其中“烟销日出不见人,欸乃一声山水绿”两句尤为人所称道。 《渔翁》 柳宗元 渔翁夜傍西岩宿,晓汲清湘燃楚竹。 烟销日出不见人,欸乃一声山水绿。 回看天际下中流,岩上无心云相逐。 An Old Fisherman Liu Zongyuan By the west Cliff, an old fisherman anchors for the night. At dawn, he dips from the clear stream and cooks o’er a bamboo fire. When the sun rises, the mists thin, he is out of sight. A creak of the oars, a drowsy

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Cui Shu:To Prefect Liu —Mounting the Divine Terrace on the Double Ninth Festival ~ 《九日登望仙台呈刘明府》 崔曙 with English Translations

《九日登望仙台呈刘明府容》是唐代诗人崔曙创作的一首七言律诗。此诗写诗人重九登高邀请友人痛饮,写得不落常套,独具特色,在抒写怀念友人的情思中,隐含着知音难遇的喟叹。首联言登台之事;颔联字面写四季变换,实际上是感叹历史变迁;颈联继续抒发历史感慨;尾联言志:功名利禄都是过眼云烟,不如饮酒自娱。全诗融写景、怀古、抒情于一炉,气势雄浑,酣畅淋漓,转承自然,一气呵成。 《九日登望仙台呈刘明府》 崔曙 汉文皇帝有高台,此日登临曙色开。 三晋云山皆北向,二陵风雨自东来。 关门令尹谁能识,河上仙翁去不回。 且欲近寻彭泽宰,陶然共醉菊花杯。 To Prefect Liu —Mounting the Divine Terrace on the Double Ninth Festival Cui Shu As I mount at peep of day the lofty terrace Erected by the Emperor Han Wendi in his reign, I see all northern mountains towering into clouds, And the two eastern Royal Tombs braving

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Liao Yan: Notes on My Writings in the Bamboo Garden ~ 《自题竹籁小草》 廖燕 with English Translations

“竹籁”是说风吹拂竹林所发出的声音,以此比喻自己的诗歌不事雕琢,深得自然之趣。他说:“竹圃初葺,微雨一过,苔洁萝鲜。予坐其中,颓如块雪耳,何与笔墨事?而顾相引以深也。蕉纸虫书,似以韵性,不欲落烟食朵颐。举向花间,倩鸟哦之。公冶子何在?听此冷然。世无忌人,容我仙去。”这位廖先生坐在刚修葺好的竹园里,放浪幽怀,竟把自己比作一堆将融化的雪,所写的诗文也如芭蕉叶上虫蛀的痕迹,请花间的禽鸟吟唱,可谓与大自然心通矣。 《自题竹籁小草》 廖燕 竹圃初葺,微雨一过,苔洁萝鲜,予坐其中。颓如块雪耳,似与笔墨事?而顾相引以深也。蕉纸虫书,似以韵胜,不欲落烟食朵颐。举向花间,倩鸟哦之。公冶子何在?听此泠然。世无忌人,容我仙去。 Notes on My Writings in the Bamboo Garden Liao Yan The bamboo garden has just been renovated. After a fine drizzle, the mosses and the vines are washed fresh and clear. Sitting in the garden, I feel as if I were a block of frozen snow. Will my writings and calligraphy

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Zhou Bangyan: Silk-washing Stream ~ 《浣溪沙·翠葆参差竹径成》 周邦彦 with English Translations

周邦彦(1056—1121),北宋词人。字美成,号清真居士,钱塘(今浙江杭州)人。官历太学正、庐州教授、知溧水县等。少年时期个性比较疏散,但相当喜欢读书,宋神宗时,写《汴都赋》赞扬新法。徽宗时为徽猷阁待制,提举大晟府(最高音乐机关)。精通音律,曾创作不少新词调。作品多写闺情、羁旅,也有咏物之作。格律谨严,语言曲丽精雅,长调尤善铺叙。为后来格律派词人所宗。作品在婉约词人中长期被尊为“正宗”。旧时词论称他为“词家之冠”或“词中老杜”。有《清真居士集》,已佚,今存《片玉集》。 《浣溪沙·翠葆参差竹径成》 周邦彦 翠葆参差竹径成, 新荷跳雨泪珠倾。 曲阑斜转小池亭。 风约帘衣归燕急, 水摇扇影戏鱼惊。 柳梢残日弄微晴。 Silk-washing Stream Zhou Bangyan Bamboos over the lane form a canopy green; On new lotus leaves raindrops leap and pound like tears. By zigzag railings a poolside pavilion appears. Swallows come back in haste when wind rolls window-screen; Fish start when the fan’s shadow in water

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Zhou Bangyan: Silk-washing Stream ~ 《浣溪沙·争挽桐花两鬓垂》 周邦彦 with English Translations

《浣溪沙·争挽桐花两鬓垂》是北宋词人周邦彦所写的一首词。词的上片写小女孩们的天真烂漫和活泼笑闹;下片写出她们备受管束、内心悲伤,女孩们的生活冷暖实际上丝毫不被关心。这首词将多个画面有机地组合到一起,对比强烈,读之令人怜惜。 《浣溪沙·争挽桐花两鬓垂》 周邦彦 争挽桐花两鬓垂, 小妆弄影照清池。 出帘踏袜趁蜂儿。 跳脱添金双腕重, 琵琶拨尽四弦悲。 夜寒谁肯剪春衣? Silk-washing Stream Zhou Bangyan Trying to pin on forehead flowers from plane-trees, She gazed on her make-up mirrored in water clear, And went outdoors on stocking feet to chase the bees. Skipping, she felt her arms heavy with bracelets gold; Playing pipa, she feels its four

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Zhou Bangyan: Silk-washing Stream ~ 《浣溪沙·楼上晴天碧四垂》 周邦彦 with English Translations

《浣溪沙·楼上晴天碧四垂》是北宋词人周邦彦所作的一首伤春词,抒写了词人的惜春伤怀之感,以及词人独处异乡的孤寂之情。这首词的上下两片相互呼应、委曲纡折、萦回复沓,其中表现出的乡情凄迷婉转,强烈而感人。 《浣溪沙·楼上晴天碧四垂》 周邦彦 楼上晴天碧四垂, 楼前芳草接天涯。 劝君莫上最高梯。 新笋已成堂下竹, 落花都上燕巢泥。 忍听林表杜鹃啼? Silk-washing Stream Zhou Bangyan The azure sky hangs down on four sides of the tower; Green grass before it stretches as far as the sky. I would advise you not to mount the tower high. New shoots have grown into bamboos before my bower; The swallows’

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Han Yu: Inscription on the Tomb Tablet of My Wet-Nurse ~ with English Translations

本篇墓铭选自民国本《铜山县志》卷六十八列女传。作于唐宪宗元和六年(811)三月,时韩愈在河南令任。乳母,即韩愈之乳母李正真,徐州人。铭文语言质朴,亲情洋溢与字里行间。 《乳母墓铭》 韩愈 乳母李,徐州人,号正真,入韩氏乳其儿愈。愈生未再周月,孤失怙恃。李怜,不忍弃去,视保益谨,遂老韩氏。 及见所乳儿愈举进士第,历佐汴徐军,入朝为御史,国子博士,尚书都官员外郎,河南令,娶妇生二男五女,时节庆贺,辄率妇儿孙列拜进寿。 年六十四,元和六年三月十八日疾卒。卒三日,葬河南县北十五里。愈率妇孙视窆封,且刻其语于石,纳诸墓,为铭。 Inscription on the Tomb Tablet of My Wet-Nurse Han Yu My wet-nurse, whose family name was Li and given name Cheng-chen, was from Hsuchow. She joined the Han family to nurse me, its son. Unfortunately I was bereaved of my parents before I had reached even my second birthday.

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Stream Water Runs Clearly ~ 《诗经·唐风·扬之水》 with English Translations

《国风·唐风·扬之水》是中国古代第一部诗歌总集《诗经》中的一首诗。《毛诗序》说这是拥立晋昭公强大的叔父的人讽刺晋昭公的诗。全诗三章,二章每章六句,一章四句。开篇以水起兴,暗示政局不稳,然后层层推进,显示出紧张又神秘的气氛,其构思在《诗经》中别具一格。 《诗经·唐风·扬之水》 扬之水,白石凿凿。 素衣朱襮,从子于沃。 既见君子,云何不乐? 扬之水,白石皓皓。 素衣朱绣,从子于鹄。 既见君子,云何其忧? 扬之水,白石粼粼。 我闻有命,不敢以告人。 Stream Water Runs Clearly Stream water runs clearly. The stream bed glitters with white pebbles. There is Mr. Pan with a red collared white shirt. I will follow him to Wo, where I can see my Lord Heng-shu. I am, of course, elated. The stream

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