Translation
The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
By Li Qi (690-751) | 李頎 |
Seeing Off Chen Zhangfu | 送陳章甫 |
April— the southern winds and vast, the yellow wheat | 四月 南風 大麥黃 |
The date trees flower not yet falling while leaves of sycamore grow | 棗花 未落 桐葉長 |
Green hills— and a morning farewell while evening is still in sight | 青山 朝別 暮還見 |
A neighing horse— parting on a journey missing your native town ~~ | 嘶馬 出門 思故鄉 |
Noble Chen, you stand open-hearted, magnanimous: | 陳侯 立身 何坦蕩 |
Your dragon beard your tiger brows and your great forehead | 虯鬚 虎眉 仍大顙 |
Your belly storing the learning of thousands of books | 腹中 貯書 一萬卷 |
Unwilling to bow your head to uncultivated weeds ~~ | 不肯 低頭 在草莽 |
At Luoyang’s East Gate you’d gather the wine and drink with us, your peers | 東門 酤酒 飲我曹 |
Lighthearted— thousands of cares becoming all like goose feathers | 心輕 萬事 皆鴻毛 |
Drunk, you’d lie down, not admitting defeat, unaware of light or dark | 醉臥 不知 白日暮 |
Sometimes gazing blankly— an orphan cloud up high ~~ | 有時 空望 孤雲高 |
The long river, crests of waves touching the sky | 長河 浪頭 連天黑 |
And at the ferry gate the anchored boats unable to cross | 津口 停舟 渡不得 |
I, a traveler from Zheng Kingdom not yet home | 鄭國 遊人 未及家 |
And you, a wandering child from Luoyang, sighing in vain ~~ | 洛陽 行子 空嘆息 |
I’ve heard it said that in your native town you have so many friends | 聞道 故林 相識多 |
But now an official dismissed— will their feelings of yesterday be the same today? | 罷官 昨日 今如何 |
Notes:
1. 11th / 12th verses (Zuì wò bù zhī bái rì mù, Yǒu shí kōng wàng gū yún gāo.): Because Chen’s unappreciated in the imperial officialdom, so he felt bored and depressed. The last verse also reveals he was deposed.
2. The poet used to live and serve as an official in He’an Province, which used to be Zheng Kingdom.
3. The last two verses show that Chen used to have many acquaintances in his hometown, but after he was just dismissed as an imperial official, how would he feel when encounter his old friends?
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
李頎 | 李颀 | Li qí |
送陳章甫 | 送陈章甫 | Sòng chén zhāng fǔ |
四月南風大麥黃， | 四月南风大麦黄， | Sì yuè nán fēng dà mài huáng, |
棗花未落桐葉長。 | 枣花未落桐叶长。 | Zǎo huā wèi luò tóng yè cháng. |
青山朝別暮還見， | 青山朝别暮还见， | Qīng shān zhāo bié mù huán jiàn, |
嘶馬出門思故鄉。 | 嘶马出门思故乡。 | Sī mǎ chū mén sī gù xiāng. |
陳侯立身何坦蕩？ | 陈侯立身何坦荡？ | Chén hóu lìshēn hé tǎn dàng? |
虯鬚虎眉仍大顙。 | 虬须虎眉仍大颡。 | Qiú xū hǔ méi réng dà sǎng. |
腹中貯書一萬卷， | 腹中贮书一万卷， | Fù zhōng zhù shū yī wàn juàn, |
不肯低頭在草莽。 | 不肯低头在草莽。 | Bù kěn dī tóu zài cǎo mǎng. |
東門酤酒飲我曹， | 东门酤酒饮我曹， | Dōng mén gū jiǔ yǐn wǒ cáo, |
心輕萬事皆鴻毛， | 心轻万事皆鸿毛， | Xīn qīng wàn shì jiē hóng máo, |
醉臥不知白日暮， | 醉卧不知白日暮， | Zuì wò bù zhī bái rì mù, |
有時空望孤雲高。 | 有时空望孤云高。 | Yǒu shí kōng wàng gū yún gāo. |
長河浪頭連天黑， | 长河浪头连天黑， | Cháng hé làng tou lián tiān hēi, |
津口停舟渡不得； | 津口停舟渡不得; | Jīn kǒu tíng zhōu dù bù dé; |
鄭國遊人未及家， | 郑国游人未及家， | Zhèng guó yóu rén wèi jí jiā, |
洛陽行子空嘆息。 | 洛阳行子空叹息。 | Luò yáng xǐng zǐ kōng tàn xī. |
聞道故林相識多， | 闻道故林相识多， | Wén dào gù lín xiāng shí duō, |
罷官昨日今如何。 | 罢官昨日今如何。 | Bà guān zuó rì jīn rú hé. |
Literal Translation
李頎 | Plum Tall = Li Qi(690-751) |
送陳章甫 | See-off/send-off Old Article Just |
[Old Article Just= Chen Zhangfu, a friend’s name] | |
四月南風大麥黃， | Four month south wind great/vast wheat/barley yellow [Four month= April] |
棗花未落桐葉長。 | Date-trees flower not-yet fall/fade sycamore leaf grow |
青山朝別暮還見， | Green hill morning farewell/leaves dusk/evening still/yet see |
嘶馬出門思故鄉。 | Neigh/hiss horse out door/gate miss old town [old town= hometown], [out door = go on journey] |
陳侯立身何坦蕩？ | Old/Chen nobleman/high-official/lord stands-up body how open-hearted/smooth shake/cleanse [Old nobleman/high-official= to address the friend Chen in a respectful title], [open-hearted shake= magnanimous] |
虯鬚虎眉仍大顙。 | Curling/dragon beard tiger eyebrow and/yet/still big/huge forehead |
腹中貯書一萬卷， | Belly inside store/reserve books one wan(10-thousand) scrolls [Meaning: Chen’s very knowledgeable.] |
不肯低頭在草莽。 | Not willing lower head at grass thicket/rude [lower head = condescend, bow, yield] [grass thicket/rude= wilderness, uncultivaed land] |
東門酤酒飲我曹， | East gate buy liquor drink our generation/fellow [East gate= East gate of Luoyang, He’nan Province], [drink our generation= treat us with wine] |
心輕萬事皆鴻毛， | Heart light wan(10-thousand) things all bean-goose/wild-swan feather [wan(10-thousand) things= means many things] [bean-goose feather= used in idioms, very little weight] |
醉臥不知白日暮， | Drunk lie-down not know white/bright sun dusk [not know = unaware, fig. not to admit defeat, hardships] |
有時空望孤雲高。 | Have time in-vain watch lonely/orphan cloud high [Have time= sometimes] |
長河浪頭連天黑， | Long river wave head link/connect sky dark [wave head= wave], [link sky = reaching the sky, for days on end, incessantly] |
津口停舟渡不得； | Ferry-crossing entrance stop/anchor boat pass-through/cross not obtain/acquire [not obtain = must not, may not, cannot] |
鄭國遊人未及家， | Zheng kingdom travel/wander person not-yet arrive home [Note: The poet used to live and serve as an official in He’an Province, which used to be Zheng Kingdom] |
洛陽行子空嘆息。 | Luo Sun travel person/child useless/empty sigh breath [Luo Sun= Luoyang, He’nan Province, Luoyang travel person refers to Chen] [useless sigh breath= sigh in vain] |
聞道故林相識多， | Hear it’s-told/said old forest each-other know many [old forest= native place] [each-other know many= many friends/acquaintances] |
罷官昨日今如何。 | Dismissed official yesterday day today as/like how [yesterday day= yesterday, refers to the past] [as/like how= how does it feel, how are they] |
The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Year:
2012
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