Yuan Ming and Qing Poetry

Liu Ji Poem: The Silkworm – 刘基《春蚕》

春蚕 [明]刘基 可笑春蚕独苦辛, 为谁成茧却焚身。 不如无用蜘蛛网, 网尽蜚虫[1]不畏人。 注释: [1]蜚虫:飞虫。 The Silkworm Liu Ji[1] Why should the silkworm busy alone and forget It will be boiled when its cocoon is made one day? Why not imitate the spider spinning its net To catch all insects, careless of what people say? 注释: [1]The poet helped the first Ming […]

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Song Lian Poem: A Morning Trip – 宋濂《晓行》

晓行 [明]宋濂 荒鸡一再号, 驱车事晨征[1]。 寥寥[2]秋风肃, 况此华月明。 万顷琉璃中, 著吾一身行。 肝胆尽冰雪, 毛发亦含清。 超然鸿蒙初[3], 顿觉百虑冥[4]。 安得王子乔[5], 为言此时情。 注释: [1]事晨征:清晨驱车远行。 [2]寥寥:指空旷的原野。 [3]超然鸿蒙初:指“我”像回到了宇宙的混沌状态,飘飘然,像是世外仙人。 [4]百虑冥:指各种各样的忧虑都消失散去。 [5]王子乔:传说中的仙人名字。 A Morning Trip Song Lian At dawn cocks crow once and again; I drive my car along the plain. The autumn wind’s severe and drear; The morning moon is bright and clear. In this glassy

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Song Lian Poem: A Southern Song – 宋濂《越歌》

越歌 [明]宋濂 恋郎思郎非一朝, 好似并州[1]花剪刀。 一股在南一股北, 几时裁得合欢袍[2]? 注释: [1]并州:今山西省太原市一带,古代以产剪刀著名。 [2]合欢袍:指婚服,袍上绣有成双配对的花鸟鱼虫图案,象征美满婚姻。这两句是借问剪刀何时裁成合欢袍,表示久恋的妇女渴望早日成婚。 A Southern Song Song Lian I think of and long for my lover day and night; We’re like the two blades of a pair of scissors bright. But now one blade is up and the other is down. When will the blades unite to cut a

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Zhang Yining Poem: The Fishing Site of Yan Guang – 张以宁《严陵钓台》

严陵钓台 [明]张以宁 故人[1]已乘赤龙去, 君独羊裘[2]钓月明。 鲁国高名悬宇宙, 汉家小吏待公卿[3]。 天回御榻星辰动[4], 人去空台山水清。 我欲长竿数千尺, 坐来东海看潮生。 注释: [1]故人:这里指严光的老朋友汉光武帝刘秀。 [2]羊裘:羊皮做的衣服,这里指严光身披羊皮袄,过着隐居的生活。 [3]汉家小吏待公卿:这句是说汉代君王将士大夫当作小吏使唤,不重视公卿大臣。 [4]天回御榻星辰动:传说严光与刘秀共卧一床,竟将腿搁在皇上刘秀的肚子上面,惹得观天象的官员大惊失色,说客星侵犯了皇帝的星座。 The Fishing Site of Yan Guang[1] Zhang Yining Your friend riding the red dragon mounted the throne; You were left in sheep skin to fish moonbeams alone. Though not a lord, Confucius’ fame fore’er shines bright; The emperor of lords

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Sa Dula Poem: The Lady of Stone – 萨都剌《石夫人》

石夫人 [元]萨都剌 危危独立向江滨[1], 四伴无人水作邻。 绿鬓懒梳千载髻[2], 朱颜不改万年春。 雪为腻粉[3]凭风傅, 露作胭脂仗[4]日匀。 莫道脸前无宝镜, 一轮明月照夫人。 注释: [1]江滨:江边。 [2]髻:盘在头顶或脑后的发结。 [3]腻粉:指脂粉。 [4]仗:与“凭”都是依仗,依靠的意思。 The Lady of Stone[1] Sa Dula Alone by riverside precarious she appears; No one accompanies her but songs water sings. The hair on her forehead uncombed for thousand years, Her beauty remains unchanged for as many springs. The gentle wind

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Sa Dula Poem: Frontier Songs (III) – 萨都剌《上京即事(五首其三)》

上京即事  (五首其三) [元]萨都剌 牛羊散漫落日下, 野草生香乳酪[1]甜。 卷地朔风[2]沙似雪, 家家行帐[3]下毡帘[4]。 注释: [1]乳酪:用牛、羊或马的奶制成的食品。 [2]朔风:北风。 [3]行帐:蒙古包,因其便于迁移,故称“行帐”。 [4]毡帘:毡制的帘子。 Frontier Songs (III) Sa Dula At sunset here and there disperse cattle and sheep; The cheese is all the sweeter mingled with grass’s scent. The sand flies up like snow when gales of north wind sweep; All the felt curtains are let down

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Sa Dula Poem: Song of Lotus Flower – 萨都剌《芙蓉曲》

芙蓉曲 [元]萨都剌 秋江渺渺[1]芙蓉芳, 秋江女儿将断肠。 绛袍[2]春浅护云暖, 翠袖日暮迎风凉。 鲤鱼吹浪江波白, 霜落洞庭飞木叶。 荡舟何处采莲人, 爱惜芙蓉好颜色。 注释: [1]渺渺:这里形容江水悠远浩荡。 [2]绛袍:深红色的袍子。 Song of Lotus Flower Sa Dula The lotus flowers sweeten boundless autumn lake; The heart of maiden fair by waterside would break. Her rosy robe can’t screen and warm the cloud-like flowers; Her green sleeves are chilled by the wind in evening

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Sa Dula Poem: Song of a Northern Beauty – 萨都剌《燕姬曲》

燕姬[1]曲 [元]萨都剌 燕京[2]女儿十六七, 颜如花红眼如漆。 兰香[3]满路马尘飞, 翠袖短鞭娇欲滴。 春风澹荡[4]摇春心, 银筝华烛高堂深。 绣衾[5]不暖锦鸳梦, 紫帘垂雾天沉沉。 芳年谁惜去如水, 春困着人倦梳洗。 夜来小雨润天街, 满院扬花飞不起[6]。 注释: [1]燕姬:燕地女子。 [2]燕京:指元大都,今天的北京市。 [3]兰香:指女子身上散发的香气。 [4]澹荡:舒缓荡漾。 [5]绣衾:绣着花纹的被子。 [6]满院扬花飞不起:这里飞不起的杨花象征燕地女儿绝望的心情,以及未来容颜衰老、芳华消逝的命运。 Song of a Northern Beauty Sa Dula The northern beauty is sixteen, With rosy face and eyebrows green. The road is fragrant with her steed; Short whip in hand, she rides with speed. In

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Ni Zan Poem: Bamboo Branch Songs (III) – 倪瓒《竹枝词(五首其三)》

竹枝词  (五首其三) [元]倪瓒 阿翁闻说国兴亡, 记得钱王[1]与岳王[2]。 日暮狂风吹柳折, 满湖烟雨绿茫茫。 注释: [1]钱王:指五代十国时的吴越国王钱镠。目前有钱王祠存世,在杭州。 [2]岳王:指南宋初抗击金兵的主要将领岳飞。目前存有的岳王庙是历代纪念民族英雄岳飞的场所,在杭州西湖西北角。 Bamboo Branch Songs (III) Ni Zan The old men talk about the kingdom’s fall and rise; For captive king and general slain[1] they give deep sighs. At dusk the wind breaks willow branch with might and main; The over brimming lake is veiled in mist and

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Yang Weizhen Poem: Waterfall of Mount Lu – 杨维桢《庐山瀑布谣》

庐山[1]瀑布谣 [元]杨维桢 银河忽如瓠子决[2], 泻诸五老之峰[3]前。 我疑天仙[4]织素练[5], 素练脱轴垂青天。 便欲手把并州剪[6], 剪取一幅玻璃烟。 相逢云石子, 有似捉月仙[7]。 酒喉无耐夜渴甚, 骑鲸吸海[8]枯桑田。 居然化作千万丈, 玉虹倒挂清冷渊。 注释: [1]庐山:在江西九江市南,风景秀美,多瀑布。 [2]瓠子决:指黄河决口。瓠子,地名,在河南濮阳县南面。 [3]五老之峰:指庐山南面的五老峰。 [4]天仙:织女。 [5]素练:白色绢绸。 [6]并州剪:古代并州(今山西太原一带)所产的剪刀,以锋利著称。 [7]捉月仙:指李白。相传李白泛舟游采石矶,醉后入江中捉月而死。 [8]骑鲸吸海:骑着鲸鱼去吸东海的水。 Waterfall of Mount Lu Yang Weizhen Like a river of stars the waterfall runs down, It flows before the peaks which five old men’s heads crown. A silk roll woven by the

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