感怀 [明]唐寅 不炼金丹[1]不坐禅[2]， 饥来吃饭倦来眠。 生涯画笔兼[3]诗笔， 踪迹花边与柳边。 镜里形骸春共老， 灯前夫妇月同圆。 万场快乐千场醉， 世上闲人地上仙。 注释： [1]炼金丹：修仙成道。 [2]坐禅：信佛念经。 [3]兼：加上。 Reflections Tang Yin I seek no drink divine nor meditation deep[1]; Hungry, I take my meal, and tired, I go to sleep. I live on selling verse and pictures as I please; I rove among red flowers and green willow trees. […]
Tang Yin Poem: Reflections – 唐寅《感怀》 Read More »
阊门[1]即事[2] [明]唐寅 世间乐土是吴中[3]， 中有阊门更擅雄。 翠袖[4]三千楼上下， 黄金百万水西东。 五更市买[5]何曾绝？ 四远方言总不同。 若使画师描作画， 画师应道画难工[6]。 注释： [1]阊门：苏州城门名。 [2]即事：以当前事物为题材的诗，多用作诗词题目。 [3]吴中：今天江苏吴县一带，也泛指吴地。 [4]翠袖：本义是指青绿色衣袖，这里代指女子。 [5]市买：买卖，交易。 [6]工：描绘清楚。 The Western Gate of Suzhou Tang Yin[1] The capital of Wu is earthly paradise; As Western Gate nowhere’s so prosperous and nice. Three thousand green-sleeved beauties upstair and downstair; A million gold coins spent east or west, here
Tang Yin Poem: he Western Gate of Suzhou – 唐寅《阊门即事》 Read More »
新春日 [明]祝允明 拂旦[1]梅花发一枝， 融融[2]春气到茅茨[3]。 有花有酒有吟咏， 便是书生富贵时。 注释： [1]拂旦：拂晓，清晨。 [2]融融：温和，舒适。 [3]茅茨：亦作“茆茨”，茅草盖的屋顶，亦指简陋的茅屋居室，这里用于谦称自己的家。 A Spring Day[1] Zhu Yunming A sprig of mume in bloom welcomes the break of day; Spring in my thatched cottage sheds its beaming ray. With flowers in view, wine to drink and verse to read, What better fortune can fall to scholars indeed! 注释：
Zhu Yunming Poem: A Spring Day – 祝允明《新春日》 Read More »
口号 （三首其一） [明]祝允明 枝山老子[1]鬓苍浪[2]， 万事遗[3]来剩得狂。 从此日和先友对， 十年汉晋十年唐。 注释： [1]枝山老子：祝允明的自称。祝允明的右手比一般人多生了个手指头，因自号“枝山”，人称枝山老子。 [2]鬓苍浪：鬓发灰白。 [3]遗：抛弃，丢弃。 Orally Composed Stanzas (I) Zhu Yunming I’ve six fingers and my forehead sprinkled with grey; Forsaken by all, still my arrogance will stay. From now on I will make friends with those ancient sages, Ten years of golden and ten years of silver ages.
Zhu Yunming Poem: Orally Composed Stanzas – 祝允明《口号》 Read More »
游岳麓寺 [明]李东阳 危峰高瞰[1]楚江干， 路在羊肠[2]第几盘[3]。 万树松杉双径合， 四山风雨一僧寒。 平沙[4]浅草连天远， 落日孤城隔水看。 蓟北湘南俱[5]入眼， 鹧鸪[6]声里独凭栏。 注释： [1]瞰：远望。 [2]羊肠：比喻狭窄曲折的小路。 [3]盘：这里做量词，圈、回。 [4]平沙：广阔的平原。 [5]俱：都，全。 [6]鹧鸪：鸡形目雉科鹧鸪属的一种，浑身花色。 The Mountainside Temple Li Dongyang The frowning peak overlooks the southern riverside; A serpentine footpath winds up the spiral hill. Two pathways meet among the pines and firs green-dyed; Amid the wind and rain a lonely monk feels
Li Dongyang Poem: The Mountainside Temple – 李东阳《游岳麓寺》 Read More »
折花仕女[1] [明]沈周 去年人别花正开， 今日花开人未回。 紫恨红愁千万种， 春风吹入手中来。 注释： [1]仕女：这里指画家所绘的美女。 A Beauty Plucking Flowers[1] Shen Zhou Last year when he left her, flowers were in full bloom; Now flowers bloom again, but he’s still in strange land. In red and violet flowers she sees grief and gloom. Why should the spring wind blow their grief into her
Shen Zhou Poem: A Beauty Plucking Flowers – 沈周《折花仕女》 Read More »
除夜宿太原寒甚 [明]于谦 寄语天涯客， 轻寒底用愁？ 春风来不远， 只在屋东头。 On a Cold New Year’s Eve Yu Qian I tell those who roam To make light of cold. Spring wind will soon come Eastwards as foretold[1]. 注释： [1]The last verse may be compared with that of Shelley’s Ode to the West Wind written 400 years later.
Yu Qian Poem: On a Cold New Year’s Eve – 于谦《除夜宿太原寒甚》 Read More »
石灰吟[1] [明]于谦 千锤万凿[2]出深山， 烈火焚烧若等闲[3]。 粉身碎骨浑不怕， 要留清白[4]在人间。 注释： [1]石灰吟：石灰的赞歌。吟，古代一种诗歌体裁。 [2]千锤万凿：指反复地捶打敲击。 [3]若等闲：好像平常事一样。 [4]清白：高尚节操。 Song of the Lime Yu Qian[1] You come out of deep mountains after hammer blows; Under fire and water tortures you’re not in woes. Though broken into pieces, you will have no fright; You’ll purify the world by washing it e’er white. 注释： [1]Minister
Yu Qian Poem: Song of the Lime – 于谦《石灰吟》 Read More »
应召赴京道上有作 [明]方孝孺 摇落秋冬际， 苍茫鄞[1]越间。 青山欹[2]枕过， 白鸟背[3]人还。 问俗乡音异， 消愁酒价悭[4]。 虚名果[5]何物， 不使病夫闲。 注释： [1]鄞：地名，春秋时属越，即今天的浙江宁波市。 [2]欹：通“倚”，倚着，靠着。 [3]背：背离，离开。 [4]悭：更加昂贵。 [5]果：确实，真的，这里用于加强语气。 On My Way to the Capital Fang Xiaoru[1] The trees shed leaves in autumn late; The Southern Plain looks desolate. I see in boat blue hills recede And white birds fly away in speed. I hear men talk in
Fang Xiaoru Poem: On My Way to the Capital – 方孝孺《应召赴京道上有作》 Read More »
赴广西别甥彭云路 [明]解缙 多情为我谢[1]彭郎， 采石江深似渭阳[2]。 相聚六年如梦过， 不如昨夜一更[3]长。 注释： [1]谢：辞谢，辞别。 [2]渭阳：原是地名，后来用于表示甥舅情谊。 [3]一更：旧时一夜分五更，每更大约两小时。 For My Nephew Xie Jin[1] I thank my nephew seeing me off on the stream; His love is deep as the River by Rocky Height. Six years we’er passed together as if in a dream; It seems not so long as one cozy hour last
Xie Jin Poem: For My Nephew – 解缙《赴广西别甥彭云路》 Read More »
