Yuan Ming and Qing Poetry

Yang Zai Poem: Late Spring on Northern Hills by West Lake – 杨载《暮春游西湖北山》

暮春游西湖北山 [元]杨载 愁耳[1]偏工[2]著[3]雨声, 好怀[4]常恐负[5]山行。 未辞花事侵侵[6]盛, 正喜湖光淡淡晴。 倦憩客犹勤访寺, 幽栖吾欲厌归城。 缘畴[7]桑麦盘樱笋[8], 因[9]忆离家恰岁更[10]。 注释: [1]愁耳:这里把总听忧愁之声的双耳称为“愁耳”。 [2]偏工:格外精工。偏:出乎寻常。 [3]著:附着。 [4]好怀:指对美好事物的眷恋。 [5]负:辜负。 [6]侵侵:稠密交叠的样子。 [7]缘畴:沿着田地。 [8]桑麦盘樱笋:指大片桑林麦田中的樱桃树和春笋盘错迂曲的样子。 [9]因:于是,趁着。 [10]岁更:年与年交接之时,这里指一年。 Late Spring on Northern Hills by West Lake Yang Zai I cling to listen to the rain with ears annoyed; A beauty-lover fears northern hills unenjoyed. How can I leave their flowers blossom in […]

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Yang Zai Poem: In the Capital – 杨载《到京师》

到京师 [元]杨载 城雪初消荠菜[1]生, 角门[2]深巷[3]少人行。 柳梢听得黄鹂语, 此是春来第一声。 注释: [1]荠菜:一种野菜。 [2]角门:偏门,是诗人到京师后寓所的门。 [3]深巷:偏僻的小巷。 In the Capital Yang Zai When snow begins to melt in town, shepherd’s purses grow; At my side door in narrow lane few come and go. On willow-tips I hear the golden orioles sing, This is the first song that announces coming spring.

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Yang Zai Poem: Written in the Lakeside Pavilion – 杨载《宿浚仪公湖亭》

宿浚仪[1]公湖亭  (四首其二) [元]杨载 两两三三白鸟[2]飞, 背人斜去落渔矶[3]。 雨余不遣浓云散, 犹向山前拥翠微[4]。 注释: [1]浚仪:指南宋大臣王应麟(1223—1296),世居浚仪(今河南开封),自称浚仪遗民。这首诗描写雨后的湖山风光,饶有情趣。 [2]白鸟:指湖中的白鹭。 [3]渔矶:可供垂钓的大石头。 [4]翠微:指苍翠的山色。 Written in the Lakeside Pavilion[1] (II) Yang Zai The white birds fly in twos and threes; Sideways they go where’er they please. Thick clouds won’t scatter after rain, But hug the verdant hillside plain. 注释: [1]The poet lived by the lakeside.

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Yang Zai Poem: The Moon Viewed from the Taoist Hall – 杨载《宗阳宫望月》

宗阳宫望月 [元]杨载 老君堂上凉如水, 坐看冰轮[1]转二更。 大地山河微有影, 九天风露寂无声。 蛟龙并起承金榜[2], 鸾凤双飞载玉笙[3]。 不信弱流三万里, 此身今夕到蓬瀛[4]。 注释: [1]冰轮:比喻月亮。 [2]金榜:这里指老君堂的金字匾额。 [3]鸾凤双飞载玉笙:此句写想象中神仙骑着鸾凤、吹着玉笙尽情欢乐的场面。 [4]蓬瀛:蓬莱和瀛洲,都是传说中的海中仙山。 The Moon Viewed from the Taoist Hall[1] Yang Zai The Taoist Hall is water-chilly with moonlight; I sit and watch the icy moon until midnight. Like shadows looms the land with hills and rills in view; From the Ninth Heaven

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Zhao Mengfu Poem: A Quatrain – 赵孟頫《绝句》

绝句 [元]赵孟頫 溪头月色白如沙, 近水楼台一万家。 谁向夜深吹玉笛? 伤心莫听后庭花[1]。 注释: [1]后庭花:指由南朝陈后主创作的歌曲《玉树后庭花》,它是哀伤的亡国之音。 A Quatrain Zhao Mengfu Moonlight on rivulet looks white as sand; By riverside ten thousand houses stand. Who plays on flute of jade when night is long? A broken heart can’t bear heart-breaking song[1]. 注释: [1]The heart-breaking song refers to the “Blooming Jade Trees” composed by the

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Zhao Mengfu Poem: An Excursion Recalled – 赵孟頫《纪旧游》

纪旧游 [元]赵孟頫 三月江南莺乱飞, 百花开谢柳依依。 落红无数迷歌扇, 嫩绿多情妒午衣[1]。 金鸭焚香川上暝[2], 画船挝鼓[3]月中归。 如今寂寞东风里, 把酒无言对夕晖[4]。 注释: [1]午衣:这里代指美女。 [2]暝:日落,天黑。 [3]挝鼓:敲打着鼓。 [4]夕晖:夕阳的光辉,落日余晖。 An Excursion Recalled Zhao Mengfu On southern shore in late spring orioles flew in riot; Hundreds of flowers bade adieu to willows quiet. The fallen reds and songstress’ fans bewitched the eye; The envious tender green for dancer’s robe would

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Zhao Mengfu Poem: Spring Grief – 赵孟頫《绝句》

绝句 [元]赵孟頫 春寒恻恻[1]掩重门, 金鸭[2]香残火尚温。 燕子不来花又落, 一庭风雨自黄昏。 注释: [1]恻恻:指诗人内心的凄清冰冷。 [2]金鸭:用黄金制造的鸭形香炉。 Spring Grief Zhao Mengfu I close the double door when spring is drear and chill; The incense burned, the golden censer is warm still. The swallows will not come when again fall the flowers; The courtyard thick with dusk is full of wind and showers.

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Zhao Mengfu Poem: The Tomb of General Yue Fei – 赵孟頫《岳鄂王墓》

岳鄂王[1]墓 [元]赵孟頫 鄂王坟上草离离[2], 秋日荒凉石兽[3]危[4]。 南渡君臣轻社稷, 中原父老望旌旗[5]。 英雄已死嗟[6]何及, 天下中分遂不支。 莫向西湖歌此曲, 水光山色不胜[7]悲。 注释: [1]鄂王:这是岳飞的封号。 [2]离离:草木繁茂的样子。 [3]石兽:墓前用来镇墓的石刻动物。 [4]危:高耸地站立。 [5]望旌旗:指中原父老盼望以“岳”字为旗号的大军早日来到。旌旗,旗帜。 [6]嗟:嗟叹,叹息。 [7]不胜:不能忍受。 The Tomb of General Yue Fei[1] Zhao Mengfu The tomb of General Yue with grass is desolate; In dreary autumn day the stone beasts stand like crags. The rulers fleeing south made light of northern state; People

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Liu Yin Poem: A Moonlit Night in the Mountains – 刘因《山中月夕》

山中月夕 [元]刘因 满怀幽思自萧萧[1], 况[2]对空山夜正遥。 四壁晴秋霜著色[3], 一天明水月生潮。 歌传岩谷声豪宕[4], 酒泛星河影动摇。 醉里似闻猿鹤语, 百年人境[5]有今朝。 注释: [1]满怀幽思自萧萧:这里指独自感到萧索和寂寞。 [2]况:文言连词,表示更进一层。 [3]著色:染成白色。 [4]豪宕:同“豪荡”,是说诗人意气洋溢,歌声回荡在岩谷。 [5]人境:人间。 A Moonlit Night in the Mountains Liu Yin So full of gloomy thoughts, I’m desolate and drear; At dead of night I face the empty mountains high. The cliffs are whitened by the frost of autumn clear; The moon

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Liu Yin Poem: On Seeing the Mume Flower – 刘因《观梅有感》

观梅有感 [元]刘因 东风吹落战尘沙, 梦想西湖处士[1]家。 只恐江南春意减, 此心元[2]不为梅花。 注释: [1]西湖处士:指北宋诗人林逋。他曾隐居在杭州西湖孤山,因喜欢植梅养鹤,故有“梅妻鹤子”之称,后人称林逋这样有德才而隐居不仕者为处士。 [2]元:同“原”,刚开始,初始。 On Seeing the Mume Flower[1] Liu Yin The east wind blows up war dust and sand more and more; I dream of mume-bloom-lover in his lakeside bower. Spring beauty wanes, I fear, on southern river shore; My heart longs for the poet more than for the

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