Translation
Meng Haoran (689-740) | 孟浩然 |
Staying Overnight by Tree Hut River: A Poem for an Old Friend in Broad Hill City | 宿桐廬江 寄廣陵舊遊 |
The mountain is dark; in grief, I listen to the apes | 山暝 聽猿愁 |
As the dark blue river rushes through the night. | 滄江 急夜流 |
The wind is crying, rustling through the leaves on both banks | 風鳴 兩岸葉 |
While the moon illuminates my orphaned boat. | 月照 一孤舟 |
My native soil is not here, by Jiande: | 建德 非吾土 |
But back in Weiyang, I think of you, my old friend. | 維揚 憶舊遊 |
I shall return, with tears coming from both sides, | 還將 兩行淚 |
Sending them far away, to the ocean’s western end. | 遙寄 海西頭 |
Notes:
Suffering from continuous setbacks in Chang’an, Meng Haoran’s enthusiasm for politics declined and he began to have doubt about his political career. He left Chang’an and traveled around the country. Meng wrote this poem when he traveled to Tree Hut River (Tonglu River) in the Zhejiang province. Faced with such sentimental and beautiful scenery, he felt lonelier and missed his old friends more.
Apes, monkeys, or gibbons crying is a common poetic symbol of sadness in Chinese and Japanese poetry. He is listening to the apes howl at night, making him more sad. Jiande County was adjacent to the place Meng where was staying. Weiyang City was the ancient name of Broad Hill City (Guangling City), which was said to be at the ocean’s western end, and is where his friend lived.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
孟浩然 | 孟浩然 | Mèng hào rán |
宿桐廬江 寄廣陵舊遊 | 宿桐庐江 寄广陵旧游 | Sù tóng lú jiāng jì guǎng líng jiù yóu |
山暝聽猿愁， | 山暝听猿愁， | Shān míng tīng yuán chóu ， |
滄江急夜流。 | 沧江急夜流。 | Cāng jiāng jí yè liú 。 |
風鳴兩岸葉， | 风鸣两岸叶， | Fēng míng liǎng àn yè ， |
月照一孤舟。 | 月照一孤舟。 | Yuè zhào yī gū zhōu 。 |
建德非吾土， | 建德非吾土， | Jiàn dé fēi wú tǔ ， |
維揚憶舊遊。 | 维扬忆旧游。 | Wéi yáng yì jiù yóu 。 |
還將兩行淚， | 还将两行泪， | Huán jiāng liǎng xíng lèi ， |
遙寄海西頭。 | 遥寄海西头。 | Yáo jì hǎi xī tóu 。 |
Year:
2012
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