Yuan Ming and Qing Poetry

Jie Xisi Poem: On Leaving Wuchang – 揭傒斯《别武昌》

别武昌 [元]揭傒斯 欲归常恨迟, 将行反愁遽[1]。 残年[2]念骨肉, 久客多亲故。 伫立[3]望江波, 江波正东注。 注释: [1]愁遽:更加忧愁,不喜欢。 [2]残年:年迈。 [3]伫立:久久站立。 On Leaving Wuchang[1] Jie Xisi On going home, none will delay; But I dislike to start my way. I long for home when the year ends; Staying abroad long, I’ve new friends. Standing, I gaze on river’s flow; And see the waves but […]

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Jie Xisi Poem: A Moonlit Night – 揭傒斯《和欧阳南阳月夜思》

和欧阳南阳月夜思 [元]揭傒斯 月出照中园, 邻家犹未眠。 不嫌风露冷, 看到树阴园。 天清照逾近[1], 夜久月将远。 墙东双白杨, 秋声隔窗满。 注释: [1]逾近:更加接近,形容天空清澈。 A Moonlit Night Jie Xisi The rising moon shines o’er my garden deep; My merry-making neighbors cannot sleep. I shiver not with cold dew nor cold breeze; But watch the moon grow round o’er shady trees. When clear’s the sky, nearer it seems

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Jie Xisi Poem: Boating in Summer – 揭傒斯《夏五月武昌舟中触目》

夏五月武昌舟中触目 [元]揭傒斯 两髯背立[1]鸣双橹, 短蓑开合沧江雨。 青山如龙入云去, 白发何人并沙语? 船头放歌船尾和[2], 篷上雨鸣篷下坐。 推篷不省[3]是何乡, 但见双双白鸥过。 注释: [1]背立:背人而立。 [2]和:唱和。 [3]不省:不知道。 Boating in Summer Jie Xisi Two bearded men, each with an oar, back to back row; Their short straw cloaks in wind and rain up and down flow. Blue mountains stretch like dragons far into the cloud; Who are the white-haired

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Yu Ji Poem: To Historian Yuan in Imperial Train – 虞集《送袁伯长扈从上京》

送袁伯长扈从[1]上京[2] [元]虞集 日色苍茫映赭袍[3], 时巡无乃圣躬劳。 天连阁道[4]晨留辇, 星散周庐[5]夜属櫜[6]。 白马锦鞯[7]来窈窕[8], 紫驼银瓮[9]出葡萄。 从官车骑多如雨, 只有扬雄[10]赋最高。 注释: [1]扈从:随侍皇帝出巡的人员。 [2]上京:上都开平,这是元世祖忽必烈即位之地。 [3]赭袍:指天子所穿的袍服。 [4]阁道:指栈道,这里比喻山中的险道。 [5]周庐:帐篷。 [6]夜属櫜:指士兵夜里佩带弓箭,用来防备。 [7]锦鞯:用锦布做成的马鞍垫。 [8]窈窕:代指歌伎舞女。 [9]银瓮:指银质的盛酒器具。 [10]扬雄:西汉大文学家,曾写过《河东赋》《羽猎赋》《长扬赋》《甘泉赋》等,才华颇高。 To Historian Yuan in Imperial Train[1] Yu Ji The golden sunlight makes imperial robe more red; In royal progress His Majesty rides ahead. At dawn the steep sky-scraping path retains the cars; At night

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Yu Ji Poem:On Cold Food Day – 虞集《寒食日》

寒食日 [元]虞集 江山信美[1]非吾土, 飘泊栖迟[2]近百年。 山舍墓田同水曲, 不堪[3]梦觉听啼鹃。 注释: [1]信美:尽管很美。 [2]栖迟:漂泊滞留。 [3]不堪:不能忍受。 On Cold Food Day[1] Yu Ji The land is not mine though beautiful it appears; My father and myself have roamed a hundred years. By waterside their cottages stand and graveyard lies. How can I bear to hear cuckoo’s home-going cries![2] 注释: [1]On Cold Food

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Yu Ji Poem: Elegy on Premier Wen Tianxiang – 虞集《挽文丞相》

挽[1]文丞相[2] [元]虞集 徒把金戈挽落晖[3], 南冠[4]无奈北风[5]吹。 子房[6]本为韩仇出, 诸葛[7]宁[8]知汉祚[9]移。 云暗鼎湖[10]龙去远, 月明华表鹤归迟[11]。 不须更上新亭[12]望, 大不如前洒泪时。 注释: [1]挽:哀悼,缅怀。 [2]文丞相:南宋末民族英雄、文学家文天祥,号文山,德祐二年(1276)任右丞相,至元十九年(1283)在燕京就义。 [3]金戈挽落晖:常用于比喻人力胜天。此句反用其意,意谓落日难挽。此处以“落晖”比喻垂亡的宋朝。 [4]南冠:比喻囚犯。 [5]北风:这里暗指来自北方的强大势力。 [6]子房:指张良,西汉初大巨,是韩国贵族的后裔,为报家国之仇,结交刺客狙击秦始皇未中。 [7]诸葛:指诸葛亮。 [8]宁:岂。 [9]祚:皇位。 [10]鼎湖:本是指传说中黄帝乘龙上天的地方,这里指宋朝国君蒙难。 [11]鹤归迟:此句用汉代丁令威化作仙鹤的传说,借指文天祥的忠魂也已化为仙鹤,但迟迟不见归来。 [12]新亭:又名劳劳亭,在今江苏南京市南。 Elegy on Premier Wen Tianxiang[1] Yu Ji In vain you wielded spear to raise the setting sun. How could a Southern captive stop the north wind’s run! The hammer blow could not

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Yu Ji Poem: Sitting Alone in the Courtyard– 虞集《院中独坐》

院中独坐 [元]虞集 何处他年寄此生, 山中江上总关情。 无端绕屋长松树, 尽把风声作雨声。 Sitting Alone in the Courtyard Yu Ji Where shall I find in future years the land of dreams? Can I forget my native hills and Southern streams? Why, standing round my house, should the moaning pine-trees Remind me of the Southern rain when blows the breeze?

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Yu Ji Poem: Song of White-plumed Skylarks – 虞集《白翎雀歌》

白翎雀歌 [元]虞集 乌桓[1]城下白翎雀[2], 雌雄相呼以为乐。 平沙无树托[3]营巢, 八月雪深黄草薄。 君不见旧时飞燕在昭阳[4], 沉沉宫殿锁鸳鸯。 芙蓉露冷秋宵永[5], 芍药风暄[6]春昼长。 注释: [1]乌桓:古时北方少数民族名。 [2]白翎雀:白色羽毛的雁雀。 [3]托:筑造。 [4]昭阳:泛指后妃居住的宫殿。 [5]永:无穷尽,时间长。 [6]暄:温暖。 Song of White-plumed Skylarks Yu Ji The white-plumed skylarks’ neath Mongolian city wall, Male and female, delight in hearing mutual call. In desert there’s no tree for them to build their nest; ’Mid withered grass beneath eighth moon’s

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Fan Heng Poem: Song of Grave-digging – 范梈《掘冢歌》

掘冢[1]歌 [元]范梈 昨日旧冢掘, 今日新冢成。 冢前两翁仲[2], 送前还迎新。 旧魂未出新魂入, 旧魂还对新魂泣。 旧魂丁宁[3]语新魂, 好地不用多子孙。 子孙绵绵如不绝, 曾孙不掘玄孙掘。 我今掘矣良可悲, 不知君掘又何时。 注释: [1]冢:坟墓。 [2]翁仲:传说阮翁仲为秦代一丈三尺的巨人,秦始皇命他守边,匈奴人很怕他。他死后,秦始皇下令仿照其形状铸成铜人。这里指墓地前的石像。 [3]丁宁:通“叮咛”,反复嘱咐。 Song of Grave-digging Fan Heng The old grave dug out yesterday, The new grave is dug right away. Two graveside statues bid adieu To the old and welcome the new. The old soul not yet gone, the

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Fan Heng Poem: Leaving Yang Zhou – 范梈《离扬州》

离扬州 [元]范梈 孤蓬如磨[1]绕汀沙, 叶满平湖藕未花[2]。 回首竹西亭渐远, 一江烟雨酒旗斜。 注释: [1]磨:粉碎粮食的工具,通常由两个圆石盘做成。 [2]花:这里用作动词,开花。 Leaving Yang Zhou Fan Heng My lonely sail is passing round the sandy bar; The lake is green with lotus leaves without pink blooms. I turn my head to find the west Pavilion far; On mist-and-rain-veiled stream a wine-shop streamer looms.

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