Chinese Poetry in English

Merchants’ Joy by Lu You

2010-02-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

The river’s huge and dragons reel within,
Sky-soaring waves there ever froth and spin;
Enormous ships seem small like beans, far-off;
So fast, you can’t catch up with them – they win.
Their sails like clouds that o’er embankments hide,
Their hawsers thumping by the city walls.
Now, ox-carts rumbling loaded full of goods
To be put up for sale at sundry stalls.
In nightspots, millions are at tables spent;
Wine shops, to tens of thousands do consent.
A prince or earl, nobody asks their names.
Who knows how many to the Court frequent.
A hard-up scholar fancies but a meal,
Calls on the wealthy and for pity prays.
His teeth are loose, his hair falls out – who cares?
His stomach full of books while flesh decays.
My luck is thin just like a paper scroll,
And merchants are the happiest men of all.

估客樂
陸遊著

長江浩浩蛟龍淵，浪花正白蹴半天。
軻峨大艑望如豆，駭視未定已至前。
帆席雲垂大堤外，纜索雷響高城邊。
牛車轔轔載寶貨，磊落照市人爭傳。
倡樓呼盧擲百萬，旗亭買酒價十千。
公卿姓氏不曾問，安知孰秉中書權。
儒生辛苦望一飽，趑趄光範祈哀憐；
齒搖發脫竟莫顧，詩書滿腹身蕭然。
自看賦命如紙薄，始知估客人間樂。

A Hymn of Illumination by Huineng

2010-01-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

Enlightenment is not at all a tree,
A shining looking-glass is not its prop;
Originally, there hasn’t been a thing:
How should the dust accumulate on top?

開悟偈慧能著

菩提本無樹,
明鏡亦非臺,
本來無一物,
何處惹塵埃。

眼镜蛇 - 自己的天堂 Cobra - My Own Paradise

2009-08-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

Just like a fool, I have a Paradise,
A blissful heaven of my own device.
Just like a fool, I have a Paradise,
A blissful heaven of my own device.
I don’t remember what it’s like to stray.
I’m well, and pleased with every coming day.
No more am I like you, no more we square,
I need no food to eat nor clothes to wear.
No more am I like you, no more we square,
I need no bed, I’ll sleep just anywhere.

Just like a fool, I have a Paradise,
A blissful heaven of my own device.
Just like a fool, I have a Paradise,
A blissful heaven of my own device.
What do you mean by saying I’m insane?
What do you mean by happiness and pain?
Don’t teach me then what I’m supposed to do
For I’m not busy anymore, I’m through.
Don’t ask me then what I’m now gonna do
For there’s no help that I can get from you.

Just like a fool, I have a Paradise,
A blissful heaven of my own device.
Just like a fool, I have a Paradise,
A blissful heaven of my own device.

像傻子一个样
有自己的天堂
像傻子一个样
有自己的天堂
不记得什么叫流浪
我满足我身体很健康
不用和你们一样
我吃穿不用钱和粮
不用和他们一样
我睡觉不用床

像傻子一个样
有自己的天堂
像傻子一个样
有自己的天堂
什么是精神不正常
什么叫幸福和悲伤
不用教我应该怎样
我早就已经不再忙
不用问我将来怎样
反正你也帮不上忙

像傻子一个样
有自己的天堂
像傻子一个样
有自己的天堂

In this youtube video, this song starts at 5:00.

To the tune of Water Melody Song

2009-06-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

A poem by Su Dongpo
To the tune of Water Melody Song (shuidiaogetou 水调歌头)

At Mid-Autumn Festival in the year bing-chen, I was drinking till dawn.
Being already quite drunk, I wrote this piece, while missing Ziyou [the poet's little brother]

I raise my cup to ask
How old, Bright Moon, you are
Don’t know what year you have
Up in the Heavens far

I want to ride the wind but I’m afraid
That when I’m back there in those domes of jade
High places will be cold for me
But I will dance there with my shadow
What happier things on Earth can be?

Beneath the window in the room
you shine on those that cannot sleep
it’s sure no hate why then so plump
When people for a parting weep

Bright Moon must wax and wane
And people part and meet again
Since old it has been so
I hope we will enjoy long lives
To share, though miles apart, Her gorgeous glow.

水調歌頭
蘇東坡

丙辰中秋，歡飲達旦，大醉，作此篇，兼懷子由。

明月幾時有？把酒問青天。
不知天上宮闕，今夕是何年。
我欲乘風歸去，唯恐瓊樓玉宇，高處不勝寒。
起舞弄清影，何似在人間！
轉朱閣，低綺戶，照無眠。
不應有恨，何事長向別時圓？
人有悲歡離合，月有陰晴圓缺，此事古難全。
但願人長久，千里共嬋娟。

This poem has become a very popular song in China today :)

What am I up to

2009-06-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

There are myriads of nice poems written in Chinese (classical Chinese mostly), I can only gnaw at a tiny bit of the pack. When I come accross a really impressive one, I feel like putting it into English - all the translations land here :) no matter how poor they are. Chinese poetry is a challange when it comes to giving it an ample English rendition.