Chinese Culture Blog

望岳 杜甫 （712 — 770） 岱宗夫如何？齐鲁青未了。 造化钟神秀，阴阳割昏晓。 荡胸生曾云，决眦入归鸟。 会当凌绝顶，一览众山小。 Gazing at Mount Dai Du Fu (712 – 770) Whatever is this Elder Dai?   Qi and Lu sides | ceaseless verdant terrain. Creation tolls of wondrous works;  Yin and Yang faces | cleave dusk and dawn twain. Clouds passed ere spirit cleansed;  returning birds engulf corner ken. Ascend until at utmost peak; glance upon yon mountains meek. Note: Elder Dai here refers to Mount Tai in Tai'an city, Shandong Province.

使至塞上 王维 （699 — 761） 单车欲问边，属国过居延。 征蓬出汉塞，归雁入胡天。 大漠孤烟直，长河落日圆。 萧关逢候骑，都护在燕然。 An Official Reaches the Frontier Fortress Wang Wei (699 – 761) A carriage en route to appraise the front | The vassal kingdom extends past Juyan As tumbleweed I leave the Han fortress | Like returning geese I enter nomad skies In vast desert a lonely smoke pillar | O’er long river a round setting sun At Windswept Pass I meet scout cavalry | Their commander is yon in Yanran

江南春 杜牧 （803 — 852） 千里莺啼绿映红， 水村山郭酒旗风。 南朝四百八十寺， 多少楼台烟雨中。 Spring South of the Yangtze River Du Mu (803 – 852) Warblers chirp for miles around, greenery accentuates red blossoms; waterside village rests against mountain, and tavern flags fly. Of the four hundred eighty monasteries of the Southern Dynasties, how many structures yet stand in rain misting by? Click to Read Southern Dynasties (420 – 589) and Yangtze River

山居秋暝 王维 （699 — 761） 空山新雨后，天气晚来秋。 明月松间照，清泉石上流。 竹喧归浣女，莲动下渔舟。 随意春芳歇，王孙自可留。 Autumn Dusk: A Hermit on the Mountain Wang Wei (699 – 761) Bare mountain after fresh rain; autumn arrives on evening air. Bright moon shines between pines; clear springs run over rocks. Bamboos rattle as washing women return; lotus jostle as fishing boats plunge. Let the spring flowers droop as they may; he, for one, chose here to stay. Picture from sugger88.

嫦娥 李商隐 （约813 — 858） 云母屏风烛影深， 长河渐落晓星沉。 嫦娥应悔偷灵药， 碧海青天夜夜心。 The Goddess in the Moon Li Shangyin (about 813 – 858) On a mica folding screen, illuminated shadows retreat, The Milky Way curves slowly down, stars fade come morning. She who surely regrets stealing the elixir of immortality, Her heart sees only jade sea and teal sky, night after night. Read the Legend of Chang E Artist Liu Danzhai paints the picture of Chang E.

望海潮·东南形胜 柳永 （984 — 1053） 东南形胜，三吴都会，钱塘自古繁华。 烟柳画桥，风帘翠幕，参差十万人家。 云树绕堤沙，怒涛卷霜雪，天堑无涯。 市列珠玑，户盈罗绮，竞豪奢。 重湖叠巘清嘉，有三秋桂子，十里荷花。 羌管弄晴，菱歌泛夜，嬉嬉钓叟莲娃。 千骑拥高牙，乘醉听箫鼓，吟赏烟霞。 异日图将好景，归去凤池夸。 Watching for the Sea’s Tide: The Southeast Lands Lie Favorably Liu Yong (984 – 762) The southeast lands lie favorably | their three Wu prefectures form a metropolis | Qiantang (the capital) has been flourishing since ancient times. Misty willows, ornate bridges | windbreaking curtains, turquoise draperies | a sprawl

夜宿山寺 李白 （701 — 762） 危楼高百尺， 手可摘星辰。 不敢高声语， 恐惊天上人。 Staying the Night in a Mountain Temple Li Bai (701 – 762) From building of precipitous height, a hand can pluck stars out sky. Men dare not raise their voices, lest they startle the ones on high. Click to Read the Story of Great Poet Li Bai The picture is Wangwu Mountain, taken by Wang Yu. Translator: Nathan J. Stoltzfus