ZHANG JI (mid 8th century)


Anchored at Night by Maple Bridge


Crows caw at a moonless, all-frosty sky.
Facing river maples and the fisherman’s torch, I sadly lie.
Beyond the city of Suzhou, the Cold Mountain Temple bell
Chimes at midnight, reaching passenger-boats that ply.

張繼
楓橋夜泊
月落烏啼霜滿天，江楓漁火對愁眠，姑蘇城外寒山寺，夜半鐘聲到客船。

DU MU (803-852)


Given in Farewell, No. 2


She is amorous, yet seems callous in the main.
Just a smile over our farewell drink she cannot feign.
Only the caring candle shares our parting woe,
Shedding till dawn its tears of pain.

杜牧
贈別，其二
多情卻似縂無情，唯覺樽前笑不成。蠟燭有心還惜別，替人垂淚到天明。


Confession

South of the Yangzi, as a dejected wino I stay.
Many games of love with slim southern beauties I play.
From the brothels of Yangzhou, a ten-year dream I have won
And the label “The Heartless Client in his Day”.

杜牧
遣懷
落魄江湖載酒行，楚腰纖細掌中輕；十年一覺揚州夢，贏得青樓薄倖名。

JIANG JIE (1245-1310)

Listening to the Rain


I listened to the rain in my younger days,
In a hall with a songstress for my delight.
Red candles cast their rays
On my silk bed-curtain at night.

I listened to the rain as a grown man in my prime,
As a traveler on a boat-ride.
Above the wide river, clouds hung low at that time.
In the west wind, a stray wild goose cried.

Now I am listening to the rain in a monk’s hut.
Like stars, specks of my white temple hair already show.
To the woe of partings and joy of meetings, my feelings are shut.
I just let the rain drip before my steps until the morrow.

蔣捷
虞美人
少年聼雨歌樓上， 紅燭昏羅帳。 壯年聼雨客舟中， 江濶雲低， 斷雁叫西風。 而今聼雨僧廬下， 鬢已星星也， 悲歡離合縂無情， 一任階前滴到明。


LI SHANGYIN (c813-858)


Climbing Loyu Plateau

Towards evening, feeling ill at ease,
On a carriage, I climb a plateau of the past.
The fine sunset can infinitely please,
But near dusk, it cannot last.

李商隱
登樂遊原
向晚意不適，駆車登古原；夕陽無限好，祗是近黃昏。