闻蛙 [清]倪瑞璇 草绿清池水面宽， 终朝阁阁[1]叫平安。 无人能脱征赋累[2]， 只有青蛙不属官[3]。 注释： [1]阁阁：拟声词，形容蛙鸣声。 [2]征赋累：赋税劳役的负担。 [3]不属官：指青蛙不属官府统辖。 Hearing Frogs Ni Ruixuan Water’s clear and grass green in a pool round; Frogs croak all day long: they are safe and sound. No body is free but frogs in the pool; From heavy taxes and officials’ rule.
Ni Ruixuan Poem: Hearing Frogs – 倪瑞璇《闻蛙》 Read More »
潍县[1]署中画竹 [清]郑燮 衙斋[2]卧听萧萧[3]竹， 疑是民间疾苦声。 些小[4]吾曹[5]州县吏， 一枝一叶总关情[6]。 注释： [1]潍县：今山东潍坊市。 [2]衙斋：官署书房。 [3]萧萧：竹枝摇动的声音。 [4]些小：小小，指官职卑微。 [5]吾曹：我辈。 [6]关情：牵动感情。 Written on a Picture of Bamboo[1] Zheng Xie I listen in my office to rustling bamboo; It seems to complain of its woe as people do. Petty official, I should try to play my part; To ease shivering leaf as sorrow-laden heart.
Zheng Xie Poem: Written on a Picture of Bamboo – 郑燮《潍县署中画竹》 Read More »
竹石[1] [清]郑燮 咬定[2]青山不放松， 立根原在破岩中。 千磨[3]万击还坚劲[4]， 任尔东西南北风！ 注释： [1]竹石：这是一首题画诗。 [2]咬定：比喻根扎得结实，像咬着不松口一样。 [3]磨：折磨。 [4]坚劲：坚定强劲。 Bamboo in the Rock Zheng Xie Upright stands the bamboo amid green mountains steep, Its toothlike root in broken rock is planted deep. It’s strong and firm though struck and beaten without rest, Careless of the wind from north or south; east or west.
Zheng Xie Poem: Bamboo in the Rock – 郑燮《竹石》 Read More »
湖楼题壁 [清]厉鹗 水落山寒处， 盈盈[1]记踏春。 朱栏[2]今已朽[3]， 何况倚栏人！ 注释： [1]盈盈：形容动作轻盈。 [2]朱栏：红色的栏杆。 [3]朽：腐蚀，朽烂。 In Lakeside Pavilion[1] Li E The hills look cold when water falls, ’Tis vernal joy my heart recalls. The balustrade’s no longer red, My love who leaned on it is dead. 注释： [1]This quatrain was written in memory of the poet’s fair mistress who died
Li E Poem: In Lakeside Pavilion– 厉鹗《湖楼题壁》 Read More »
柳 [清]金农 销魂桥[1]外绿匆匆， 树亦销魂客送空。 万缕千丝生便好， 剪刀谁说胜春风。 注释： [1]销魂桥：唐时指灞桥，在陕西西安市长安区东。因远行者与送别者常于此惜别，故称。 The Willow Jin Nong Beyond Heart-broken Bridge the willows green in haste; When friends are gone away, heart-broken are the trees. Thousands of branches wave like dancer’s slender waist; Could scissors cut more slender leaves than vernal breeze?
Jin Nong Poem: The Willow – 金农《柳》 Read More »
过许州[1] [清]沈德潜 到处陂塘[2]决决[3]流， 垂杨百里罨[4]平畴[5]。 行人便觉须眉绿， 一路蝉声过许州。 注释： [1]许州：河南许昌市。 [2]陂塘：池塘。 [3]决决：形容水流的声音。 [4]罨：覆盖，掩盖。 [5]平畴：平坦的田野。 Passing by Xuzhou Shen Deqian From the pools here and there flows rippling water clean; For miles and miles extend the fields the willows screen. The wayfarer would feel his beard and brows turn green; Passing the town ‘mid songs of cicadas unseen.
Shen Deqian Poem: Passing by Xuzhou – 沈德潜《过许州》 Read More »
秋暮吟望 [清]赵执信 小阁高栖老一枝， 闲吟了不为秋悲。 寒山常带斜阳色， 新月偏明落叶时。 烟水极天[1]鸿有影， 霜风卷地菊无姿。 二更短烛三升酒， 北斗低横未拟窥[2]。 注释： [1]极天：形容湖水浩渺无边。 [2]拟窥：拟，打算。窥：窥视，观看。 Late Autumn Zhao Zhixin I perch in little bower like an olden tree; I croon at leisure not because autumn grieves me. Cold hills oft bear the rays of the sun on decline; The crescent moon prefers o’er fallen leaves to shine.
Zhao Zhixin Poem: Late Autumn – 赵执信《秋暮吟望》 Read More »
秣陵[1]怀古 [清]纳兰性德 山色江声共寂寥， 十三陵[2]树晚萧萧。 中原事业[3]如江左[4]， 芳草何须怨六朝？ 注释： [1]秣陵：江宁，今南京。 [2]十三陵：明朝十三个皇帝的陵墓，在北京昌平。 [3]中原事业：指明朝后期在北京的所作所为。 [4]江左：指像偏安江南的六朝君主一样昏庸腐败。 On the Capital of Yore[1] Nalan Xingde Both mountain hue and river song are sad and drear; Showers of leaves on Thirteen Tombs ruffle the ear. The Northern kings sought pleasure on the Southern shore; The bygone dynasties need no grass to deplore. 注释：
Nalan Xingde Poem: On the Capital of Yore – 纳兰性德《秣陵怀古》 Read More »
青溪口号[1] [清]查慎行 来船桅杆高， 去船橹声[2]好。 上水厌滩多， 下水惜滩少。 注释： [1]口号：口吟，即景赋诗。 [2]橹声：摇橹发出的声音。 Orally Composed on the Blue Stream Zha Shenxing Ships come afar, we see masts high; We hear their oars when they pass by. Upstream we fear the beaches before; Downstream we like them to be more.
Zha Shenxing Poem: Orally Composed on the Blue Stream – 查慎行《青溪口号》 Read More »
《桃花扇传奇》题词 [清]陈宇王 玉树歌[1]残迹已陈， 南朝宫殿柳条新。 福王少小风流惯， 不爱江山爱美人。 注释： [1]玉树歌：南朝陈后主所作的《玉树后庭花》。 On Reading Peach Blossom Fan Chen Yuwang None sings The Jade Tree Song[1], no trace of yore in view; In Southern palace willow trees again look new. While young, the prince[2] in gallantry was an old hand; He loves a beautiful woman more than his land. 注释： [1]“The
Chen Yuwang Poem: On Reading Peach Blossom Fan – 陈宇王《《桃花扇传奇》题词》 Read More »
