Deer Woods

Wang Wei (692-761)
 
 
Deserted woods — and no one here to see,
Yet still out there I hear the words of spite;
Returning deep within the woods, a scene:
A patch of green shade moss reflects the light.
 
 

Chinese   鹿柴 王維   空山不見人 但聞人語響 返景入深林 復照青苔上

Pronunciation   Lù Chái Wáng Wéi   Kōng shān bù jiàn rén

Watching the Plum Blossoms

Lu You (1125-1209)
 
 
The plum trees bloom above the gold grass hill —
Though old, a man cannot enjoy their fluff?
Light mist, the moon, the far-off cattle still —
There’s life and death; don’t fret the common stuff.
 
 

Chinese   看梅絕句 陸游   梅花樹下黃茆丘 古人尚能愛花不 月淡煙深聽牧笛

Wandering to a New Town

Li Shunxian (~ 910)
 
 
Life’s carriage takes me quick to heaven’s light,
But here I pause to part this world of dust;
Alone, afraid, pursuing dreams of flight,
Yet here I’m old with dread, and leave I must.
 
 

Chinese   隨駕遊青城 李舜弦   因隨八馬上仙山 頓隔塵埃物象閑 隻恐西追王母宴 卻憂難得到人間

Pronunciation

 
My dear old friend who’s parting West
Beneath the Yellow Towers;
While falling on the Yangzhou lands
Are mists and springtime flowers.
 
Your orphan boat’s a distant shade,
That sails where blue skies go;
I look upon the water tides—
Until the end they flow.
 
 
By Li Bai, tr. from the Chinese by Frank Watson
 

 
送孟浩然之廣陵 


故人西辭黃鶴樓，
煙花三月下揚州。 
孤帆遠影碧空盡，
惟見長江天際流。 
 
李 白

You who’ve come and seen my hometown hue
Would know the news from there, I must presume:
That day you left, outside the window view,
Had winter’s plums begun to wear their bloom?