This poem describes a stop at Xuyi, a town along the Huai River, during a trip away from the capital. His hometown was Chang’an, the ancient capital located in the Qinquan region. By evoking memories of Qinguan, it implies that he was feeling homesick, which is why he was sleepless that night.
My Translation
By Wei Yingwu (737-792) | 韋應物 |
An Evening Anchoring at Xuyi | 夕次盱眙縣 |
Lowering the sails, I anchor at a town on the Huai River | 落帆 逗淮鎮 |
Stopping the boat by a lone station house | 停舫 臨孤驛 |
Vast, magnificent, the rising waves and wind | 浩浩 風起波 |
Dim, dark, the sun sets for evening | 冥冥 日沈 夕 |
People returning home along the mountain line, in darkness | 人歸 山郭 暗 |
A wild goose descends, a spot of white among the marshy reeds | 雁下 蘆洲 白 |
Alone at night, remembering Qinguan | 獨夜 憶秦關 |
A sleepless guest, I listen to the tolling bells | 聽鐘 未眠客 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
韋應物 | 韦应物 | Wéi Yìng Wù |
夕次盱眙縣 | 夕次盱眙县 | Xī cì xū yí xiàn |
落帆逗淮鎮， | 落帆逗淮镇， | Luò fán dòu huái zhèn, |
停舫臨孤驛。 | 停舫临孤驿。 | Tíng fǎng lín gū yì. |
浩浩風起波， | 浩浩风起波， | Hào hào fēng qǐ bō, |
冥冥日沈夕。 | 冥冥日沉夕。 | Míng míng rì chén xī. |
人歸山郭暗， | 人归山郭暗， | Rén guī shān guō àn, |
雁下蘆洲白。 | 雁下芦洲白。 | Yàn xià lú zhōu bái. |
獨夜憶秦關， | 独夜忆秦关， | Dú yè yì qín guān, |
聽鐘未眠客。 | 听钟未眠客。 | Tīng zhōng wèi mián kè. |
Literal Notes
韋應物 | Tanned-leather Must Thing [=Wei Yingwu (737-792)] |
夕次盱眙縣 | Evening second anxious gaze county |
[second= cì, in ancient Chinese, it means boat to anchor; anxious gaze = Xuyi, a city in Jiangsu Province, famous for red lobster] | |
落帆逗淮鎮， | Fall/drop sail/canvas stop/stay Huai town [Huai town=a town along the Huai River] |
停舫臨孤驛。 | Stop boat next-to/face lonely relay-station |
浩浩風起波， | Grand/vast vast wind up/raise wave [Hào hào is from the idiom Hào hào dàng dàng to describe anything grandiose] |
冥冥日沈夕。 | Dark/dim dark sun sink evening/dusk |
人歸山郭暗， | People return mountain outer-city-wall dark [mountain outer-city-wall = mountain contour] |
雁下蘆洲白。 | Wild-goose down reed continent white [reed continent= marshy land filled with reeds] |
獨夜憶秦關， | Alone/lonely night memory Qin close/shut [Qin close/shut= Qinguan is the ancient name for Shaanxi Area] |
聽鐘未眠客。 | Listen/hear bell not-yet sleep guest. |
Notes and character tables prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Year:
2012
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