Yuan Ming and Qing Poetry

Wu Jiaji Poem: On My Wife’s Birthday – 吴嘉纪《内人生日》

内人生日 [清]吴嘉纪 潦倒[1]丘园[2]二十秋, 亲炊葵藿[3]慰余愁。 绝无暇日[4]临青镜[5], 频过凶年[6]到白头。 海气荒凉门有燕, 溪光摇荡屋如舟。 不能沽酒[7]持相祝, 依旧归来向尔谋[8]。 注释: [1]潦倒:生活穷困。 [2]丘园:家园,乡村。 [3]葵藿:均为菜名。 [4]暇日:闲暇的时间。 [5]临青镜:照镜子打扮自己。 [6]凶年:苦难的日子。 [7]沽酒:买酒。 [8]谋:商量。 On My Wife’s Birthday Wu Jiaji For twenty years in thatched cot we’ve lived poor life; To cook my meal and ease my grief I have my wife. She has no time to make up before […]

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Gu Mei Poem: On a Picture of Peach Blossoms and Willow Trees – 顾媚《自题桃花杨柳图》

自题桃花杨柳图 [清]顾媚 郎道花红如妾面, 妾言柳绿似郎衣。 何时得化鹣鹣鸟[1], 拂叶穿花一处飞。 注释: [1]鹣鹣鸟:比翼鸟,比喻夫妻情感深厚。 On a Picture of Peach Blossoms and Willow Trees Gu Mei My lover says like peach blossom my face is fair; I say my lover’s dress is green like willow tree. When could we be transformed into lovebirds in pair, Flying ‘mid willow leaves and peach blossoms

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Gong Dingzi Poem: Passing by Jinling on the 3rd Day of the 3rd Moon – 龚鼎孳《上巳将过金陵》

上巳[1]将过金陵 [清]龚鼎孳 倚槛[2]春愁玉树[3]飘, 空江铁锁野烟销[4]。 兴怀何限兰亭感[5], 流水青山送六朝。 注释: [1]上巳:阳历三月三日,旧俗此日在水边洗涤污垢,祭祀祖先。 [2]倚槛:依靠着栏杆。 [3]玉树:指南朝陈后主创制的亡国之音《玉树后庭花》。 [4]空江铁锁野烟销:运用西晋灭东吴的典故。诗人凝望空阔浩渺的长江,不禁想起当年晋武帝命王浚伐吴之事。 [5]兰亭感:书圣王羲之曾约好友聚会,在兰亭写下著名的《兰亭集序》。 Passing by Jinling[1] on the 3rd Day of the 3rd Moon Gong Dingzi Spring grief wafts on the stream with conquered kingdom’s song; No chains could bar the foe from sailing River Long.[2] Indulged in pleasure, kings were captured in their hall; Green hills

Gong Dingzi Poem: Passing by Jinling on the 3rd Day of the 3rd Moon – 龚鼎孳《上巳将过金陵》 Read More »

Song Wan Poem: A Hound Seen in a Boat – 宋琬《舟中见猎犬有感》

舟中见猎犬有感 [清]宋琬 秋水芦花一片明, 难同鹰隼[1]共功名。 樯[2]边饭饱垂头睡, 也似英雄髀肉[3]生。 注释: [1]鹰隼:一种飞禽。 [2]樯:桅杆。 [3]髀肉:大腿肉。诗人用“髀肉复生”的典故为猎犬悲哀叹惜。 A Hound Seen in a Boat Song Wan The autumn water’s bright as the reed catkins white; The hound in a boat cannot prey as eagles light. After eating, head bent beside the mast it lies, Like heroes growing fat the enemy defies.

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Gu Yanwu Poem: A Frontier Song – 顾炎武《塞下曲》

塞下曲 [清]顾炎武 赵信城[1]边雪化尘, 纥干山[2]下雀呼春。 即今三月莺花满, 长作江南梦里人。 注释: [1]赵信城:古代匈奴境内的城,在今天蒙古高原杭爱山一带。 [2]纥干山:又称“纥真山”,在山西大同东,这里代指塞外环境。 A Frontier Song[1] Gu Yanwu In the surrendered town snow melts into dust quiet; The birds below the Northern Mountain cry for spring. Now in third moon orioles and flowers run riot, The killed should come south to his wife’s dream on the wing. 注释: [1]This

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Fang Yizhi Poem: Going Alone – 方以智《独往》

独往 [清]方以智 同伴都分手, 麻鞋独入林。 一年三变姓, 十字九椎心。 听惯干戈[1]信, 愁因风雨深。 死生容易事, 所痛为知音。 注释: [1]干戈:干与戈,古代常用兵器,比喻战争。 Going Alone Fang Yizhi[1] Dispersed are my companions dear; I go to the woods for my part. I’ve changed my name thrice in a year; Nine words out of ten gnaw my heart. I’m used to hear the news of war; My grief’s

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Li Yu Poem: Heart-broken Song– 李渔《哭亡姬乔氏》

哭亡姬乔氏 [清]李渔 各事纷纷一笔销, 安心蓬户[1]伴渔樵[2]。 赠予宛转[3]情千缕, 偿汝零星泪一瓢。 偕老愿终来世约, 独栖甘度[4]可怜宵。 休言再觅同心侣, 岂复人间有二乔[5]! 注释: [1]蓬户:用蓬草编成的门户,形容穷苦人家的简陋房屋。 [2]渔樵:打鱼砍柴,这里指与渔夫、樵夫相伴。 [3]宛转:这里指乔氏对诗人总是委曲婉转,百依百顺。 [4]甘度:甘心度过。 [5]二乔:三国时乔公的两个女儿,容貌美丽。名叫大乔(嫁孙策)和小乔(嫁周瑜)。 Heart-broken Song[1] Li Yu The bygones one and all like dreams have passed away; I’d live with fishermen in thatched cot night and day. Can I forget your tenderness like endless thread? Could I repay you with a stream

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Wu Weiye Poem: Stopped by Snow on My Northward Way – 吴伟业《阻雪》

阻雪 [清]吴伟业 关山[1]虽胜路难堪[2], 才上征鞍[3]又解骖[4]。 十丈黄尘千尺雪, 可知俱[5]不似江南! 注释: [1]关山:关隘和山川。 [2]难堪:难走。 [3]征鞍:指征马。 [4]解骖:解脱骖马,古代指驾在车前两侧的马。 [5]俱:全,都。 Stopped by Snow on My Northward Way[1] Wu Weiye Hard is the way along mighty mountains and streams; I have just mounted my horse and dismount it now. Yellow sand rises high and fathomless snow seems. How can this be compared with Southern

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Wu Weiye Poem: Song of the Beautiful Yuanyuan – 吴伟业《圆圆曲》

圆圆曲 [清]吴伟业 鼎湖[1]当日[2]弃人间, 破敌收京下玉关[3]。 恸哭[4]六军俱缟素[5], 冲冠[6]一怒为红颜[7]。 红颜流落[8]非吾恋, 逆贼[9]天亡[10]自荒宴[11]。 电扫[12]黄巾定黑山[13], 哭罢君亲[14]再相见。 相见初经田窦[15]家, 侯门[16]歌舞出如花。 许[17]将戚里[18]空侯伎[19], 等取将军油壁车[20]。 家本姑苏[21]浣花里, 圆圆小字娇罗绮。 梦向夫差苑里游[22], 宫娥[23]拥入君王起。 前身合是[24]采莲人, 门前一片横塘水。 横塘双桨去如飞, 何处豪家强载归? 此际岂知非薄命, 此时只有泪沾衣。 熏天意气连宫掖[25], 明眸皓齿[26]无人惜。 夺归永巷[27]闭良家, 教就新声倾座客。 座客飞觞[28]红日暮, 一曲哀弦向谁诉? 白皙通侯[29]最少年, 拣取花枝屡回顾。 早携娇鸟出樊笼, 待得银河几时渡[30]? 恨杀军书抵死催, 苦留后约将人误。 相约恩深相见难, 一朝蚁贼[31]满长安。 可怜思妇楼头柳[32], 认作天边粉絮[33]看。 遍索绿珠[34]围内第[35], 强呼绛树[36]出雕栏。 若非壮士[37]全师胜, 争得蛾眉[38]匹马还。 蛾眉马上传呼进, 云鬟不整惊魂定。 蜡炬迎来在战场, 啼妆满面残红印。 专征箫鼓向秦川[39], 金牛道[40]上车千乘。 斜谷云深起画楼, 散关[41]月落开妆镜。 传来消息满江乡, 乌桕[42]红经十度霜[43]。 教曲妓师怜尚在[44],

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Jin Shengtan Poem: To My Readers before My Death – 金圣叹《临别口号遍谢弥天大人谬知我者》

临别口号遍谢弥天大人谬知我者 [清]金圣叹 东西南北海天疏, 万里来寻圣叹书。 圣叹只留书种[1]在, 累[2]君青眼[3]看何如? 注释: [1]书种:作者的儿子金雍。 [2]累:劳累。 [3]青眼:表示重视。最后一句是说诗人希望在他死后,他的儿子能致力于他的事业,劳累诸君,另眼看待他儿子的书作。 To My Readers before My Death Jin Shengtan We’re far apart as sky from earth or the four nooks; You make light of ten thousand miles to find my books[1]. I’ve left my son who loves but reading ‘neath the sky. Would you please look

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