52歌赋>国学名著>诗 (历代诸家)>第六十五章 唐宋明清詩(唐)十四

《诗 (历代诸家)》第六十五章 唐宋明清詩(唐)十四· 佚名

魚玄機小傳

字幼微一字蕙蘭。長安里家女。喜讀書。有才思。補闕李憶納為妾。愛衰。遂從冠帔於咸宜觀。後以笞殺女童綠翹事。為京兆溫璋所戳。--------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

賦得江邊柳 (臨江樹)

Poem for the Willows by the River

翠1色連2荒岸。

煙姿入遠樓。

影3鋪秋水面。

花落釣人4頭。

根老藏魚5窟。

枝低繫6客舟。

蕭蕭風雨夜。

驚夢復添愁。

The calm blue sky and its reflection

frame the barren riverbanks

huge shapes of misty cloud

merge into distant mansions

upside-down, many images

spread on the autumn waters

flowers drop from time to time

onto the head of the fisherman

old roots mark the dens

where many fish are hiding

hanging branches offer mooring

to the boats of travelers

the night tosses and sighs

all filled with wind and rain

and dreaming astonishing dreams

only enlarges my gloom.[1]草 [2]迷 [3]葉 [4]磯 [5]龍 [6]拂

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魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

贈鄰女 (寄李億員外)

Sent to a Neighbor Woman Friend

羞日遮7羅袖。

愁春懶起妝。

易求無價寶。

難得有心郎。

枕上潛垂淚。

花間暗斷腸。

自能窺宋玉。

何必恨王昌。The sun admires us warmly

so we cover our arms with gauze silk sleeves

but the sad and fitful spring

makes us too lazy to put on makeup

it’s easier to find

rare, unparalleled treasure

than it is to have and hold

one reliable lover

at night, against our pillows,

we weep our secret tears

by day, among the flowers,

we hide our breaking hearts

if we can have

great poets for friends

should we also long

for handsome lovers? [7]障

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3

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

寄國香

The Fragrance of Orchids旦夕醉吟身。

相思又此春8。

雨中寄書使。

窗下斷腸人。

山捲珠簾看。

愁隨芳草新。

別來清宴上。

幾度落梁塵。

The body that aches with longing

is drunk at dusk and again at dawn

these wild mutual yearnings

return to us each spring

there in the rain goes a messenger

bearing a passionate letter

under the open window

stands one with a broken heart

up in the mountains a lover

rolls up a pearl screen, looking out

sadness comes back and comes back

as fragrant and lush as the grass

and we’re all walking home in the dark

from banquets and celebrations

or watching the quiet dust

that sifts down from our roofbeams.

[8]何處申

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魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

寄題鍊師 (第三句缺一字。第四句缺一字 )

Tribute to a Master Alchemist

霞彩翦為衣。

添香出繡幃。

芙蓉花葉【】。

山水帔【】稀。

駐履聞鶯語。

開籠放鶴飛。

高堂春睡覺。

暮雨正霏霏。

The gorgeous colored clouds

stitched into quilted robes

wonderful perfume coming

from a finely woven tapestry

the red hibiscus blooming

among its thick green leaves

mountains and water dressed

in a rare embroidered cape

—like stopping short in your tracks

to hear the song of a warbler

or freeing a crane from a cage

to watch it fly away

—sleeping alone on a spring night

in an old high-ceilinged chamber

or rain that arrives at dusk

falling thick and fast.

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5

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem poem

寄劉尚書

Sent to Secretary Liu八座鎮雄軍。

歌謠滿路新。

汾川三月雨。

晉水百花春。

囹圄長空鎖。

干戈久覆塵。

儒僧觀子夜。

羈客醉紅茵。

筆硯行隨手。

詩書坐繞身。

小材9多顧盼。

得作食魚人。I know you used to command

an army of veteran soldiers

marching them down new roads

as they chanted favorite ballads

forded Fenchuan River

in hard March rains

stood by Jinshui River in June

as flowers bloomed all around

but the vast sky gets locked away

behind its prison bars

and weapons ofwar, over time,

acquire a coat of dust

now the scholar and the monk

can sit up late, admiring midnight

and visitors can linger

drunk and flushed on the lawn

the writing brush and inkstone

almost compose on their own

as poetry books form a circle

around the thoughtful self

and a modest talent for verse

begins to come to the surface

the way the orange carp rise

when you scatter food on their pond.

[9]才

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

浣紗廟

Washing Yarn Temple

吳越相謀計策多。

浣紗神女已相和。

一雙笑靨纔回面。

十萬精兵盡倒戈。

范蠡功成身隱遯。

伍胥諫死國消磨。

只今諸暨長江畔。

空有青山號苧蘿。State plots against state

intrigues come thick and fast

but here at Washing Yarn Temple

Xi Shi offers us harmony

a pair of faces can beam

just from turning to glimpse her

while thousands of seasoned troops

ground their weapons and surrender

Fan Li achieved his greatness

by turning away from the world

while Wu Xu had to die

in order to wear down the government

the great river confers a name

upon a place like Zhuji

but this blue mountain has long been known

as a beautiful woman’s birthplace.

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7

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

賣殘牡丹

Selling the Last Peonies

臨風興歎落花頻。

芳意潛消又一春。

應為價高人不問。

卻緣香甚蝶難親。

紅英只稱生宮裏。

翠葉那堪染路塵。

及至移根上林苑。

王孫方恨買無因。

Facing the wind makes us sigh

we know how many flowers fall

spring has come back again

and where have the fragrant longings gone?

who can afford these peonies?

their price is much too high

their arrogant aroma

even intimidates butterflies

flowers so deeply red

they must have been grown in a palace

leaves so darkly green

dust scarcely dares to settle there

if you wait till they’re transplanted

to the Imperial Gardens

then you, young lords, will find

you have no means to buy them.

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

酬李學士寄簟

To Thank the Scholar Li for the Gift of a Bamboo Mat

珍簟新鋪翡翠樓。

泓澄玉水記方流。

唯應雲扇10情相似。

同向銀床恨早秋。

This precious mat, newly spread out

in the Halcyon Pavilion

makes me think of the deep,

clear water that marks our local river

only a fan made of clouds

could match your priceless gift

I turn toward my silver bed

regretting the early autumn.

[10]宿

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9

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

情書(書情)寄李子安(一本題下有補闕二字)

Love Letter to Li Zian

飲冰食檗志無功。

晉水壺關在夢中。

秦鏡欲分愁墮11鵲。

舜琴將弄怨飛鴻。

井邊桐葉鳴秋雨。

窗下銀燈暗曉風。

書信茫茫何處問。

持竿盡日碧江空。

I suck melting ice and munch cork bark

and still make no sense of my life

Jinshui River and Huguan Pass

keep coming up in my dreams

Qin Jing’s mirror is ready to break

and I’m sad for the falling magpies

Emperor Shun’s zither is tuned

and I blame the messenger swans

paulownia leaves by the well

cry in the autumn rain

the silver lamp by the window

dims in the wind at dawn

I write you letters across great distances

and never know if they reach you

holding a bamboo pole at sunset

next to a wide blue river.[11]墜

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character

閨怨

Boudoir Bitterness

蘼蕪盈手泣斜暉。

聞道鄰家夫婿歸。

別日南鴻纔北去。

今朝北雁又南飛。

春來秋去相思在。

秋去春來信息稀12。

扃閉朱門人不到。

砧聲何事透羅幃。

The grass overgrown with weeds

fills her hands

as she weeps in the late sunlight

she’s just heard

her neighbor’s husband has come back home

only the other day

wild swans and geese

were heading north

this morning they came again

honking and calling

migrating south

springs come

autumns go

heart-sorrow stays

autumns go

springs come

and still no news

she slides the bolts

of her red doors—nobody’s coming

why bother

pounding the laundry

or washing the curtains?[12]違

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

春情寄子安

Spring Thoughts Sent Affectionately to Zian

山路敧斜石磴危。

不愁行苦13苦相思。

冰銷遠澗憐清韻。

雪遠寒峰想玉姿。

莫聽凡歌春病酒。

休招閒客夜貪棋。

如松匪石盟長在。

比翼連襟會肯遲。

雖恨獨行冬盡日。

終期相見月圓時。

別君何物堪持贈。

淚落晴光一首詩。

The mountain road is sheer

and the stone steps will be steep

I’ll feel bitter twice—once for the journey,

and once for missing you

icy roads and empty ravines

will make me hear your voice

cool snow on distant peaks

will bring back your calm face

don’t listen to popular songs

don’t drink too much in spring

don’t hobnob with idle drifters

don’t spend whole nights playing chess

it’s as though we shared a lovers’ vow

one made of pine, not stone

it’s as though we were paired lovebirds

whose rendezvous is delayed

we hate going on alone

trying to make it through winter

we may come back together

by the light of a great round moon

saying good-bye to you, my lord,

what keepsake can I offer ?

eyes brimming and shining,

here’s a poem just for you.[13]路

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

打毬作

Watching Them Play Polo

堅圓淨滑一星流。

月杖爭敲未擬休。

無滯礙時從撥弄。

有遮欄處任鉤留。

不辭宛轉長隨手。

卻恐相將不到頭。

畢竟入門應始了。

願君爭取最前籌。

Firm, round, clean and smooth,

the ball goes by like a comet

the crescent-shaped sticks crack sharply

nobody wants to stop

the riders, pulling free,

chase each other, jostling

watch from behind the railing

staying as long as I like

around and around they go

the ball skipping just ahead of them

sometimes it seems as if

they’ll never score a goal

but having begun their game

they ought to be able to finish it

and whoever plays the best

ought to be given a prize.

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魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

暮春有感寄友人

Sent to a Friend in a Late Spring Mood

鶯語驚殘夢。

輕妝改淚容。

竹陰初月薄。

江靜晚煙濃。

溼觜銜泥燕。

香鬚採蕊蜂。

獨憐無限思。

吟罷亞枝松。

The chatter of orioles

breaks up my dream

I put on a little makeup

to change my tear-stained face

a young moon

shines through the bamboo shade

the smooth river

fumes with late night mist

swallows are bringing mud in their beaks

to pack their nests

bees are gathering pollen

from open flowers

I alone feel yearning

without any limit

reciting my own poems

staring up through the pines.

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

冬夜寄溫飛卿

Sent to Wen Feiqing on a Winter Night

苦思14搜詩15燈下吟。

不眠長夜怕寒衾。

滿庭木葉愁風起。

透幌紗窗惜月沈。

疏散未閑終遂願。

盛衰空見本來心。

幽棲莫定梧桐處。

暮雀啾啾空繞16林。

I’ve racked my brains for a poem

chanting here by the lamp

spending a sleepless night

away from my chilly quilt

blown leaves fill the courtyard

the night wind makes me gloomy

through the cotton curtain and window screen

shines a deep and beautiful moon

we’re distant and lack leisure time

to accomplish our mutual wishes

love rises and falls like a wave

and usually leaves our hearts helpless

a sparrow may live alone

unable to nest in a parasol tree

I heard one chirping at sunset

circling the woods in vain.

[14]憶 [15]思 [16]繞竹 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------15

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

酬李郢夏日釣魚回見示

A Poem Sent to Li Ying to Match His "Fishing in Summer"

住處雖同巷。

經年不一過。

清詞勸17舊女。

香桂折新柯。

道性欺冰雪。

禪心笑綺羅。

跡登霄漢上。

無路接煙波。It’s odd that you and I live

here on the very same street

and not even once a year

do we run across each other

if you want to impress an old girl friend

you need to produce a pure poem

leaves of the fragrant cassia

break out along new boughs

the nature of the Tao

is simpler than ice or snow

the understanding of Zen

mocks the expense of gauze and silk

my spiritual footprints rise

into the empyrean

but there isn’t any path

across love’s waves and mist.

[17]歡

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

次韻西鄰新居兼乞酒

Matching Poem for My New Neighbor to the West, Inviting Him over for Wine一首詩來百度吟。

新情18字字又聲金。

西看已有登垣意。

遠望能無化石心。

河漢期賒空極目。

瀟湘夢斷罷調琴。

況逢寒節添鄉思。

寂夜佳醪莫獨斟。

Imagine a small poem

chanted a hundred times

each word bringing new feelings

sounding golden

my thoughts have climbed the wall

between our houses

I gaze into the distance—

my heart’s not made of stone

the Milky Way looks expectant

out there in the vastness

Hunan’s rivers are waking up

the zither is fully tuned

every April the Cold Food Festival

leaves me a little homesick

silent night, mellow wine—

don’t make me pour it alone.[18]清新

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

和友人次韻

A Matching Poem, Reply to a Friend

何事能銷旅館愁。

紅牋開處見銀鉤。

蓬山雨灑千峰小。

嶰谷風吹萬葉秋。

字字朝看輕碧玉。

篇篇夜誦在衾裯。

欲將香匣收藏卻。

且惜時吟在手頭。

Looking for ways to defeat the sadness of

staying at an inn

opening your love letter

admiring the elegant strokes

rain on Penglai Mountain

makes the thousand peaks look small

wind in the Xiegu Gorge blows

thousands of leaves into autumn

in the morning I read every word

looking down upon jasper

at night, curled in my quilt and bed

I read it all again

I should take out my sandalwood casket

and stow it safely away

but just for this moment, holding it,

I can’t seem to let it go.

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

和新及第悼亡詩二首

Two Poems﹕ For the Successful Candidates of the Civil Service Examand Grief for a Death

仙籍人間不久留。

片時已過十經秋。

鴛鴦帳下香猶暖。

鸚鵡籠中語未休。

朝露綴花如臉恨。

晚風敧柳似眉愁。

彩雲一去無消息。

潘岳多情欲白頭。You can’t stay long in wonderlands

or man-made worlds

it’s as if you turn around

and find ten autumns gone

behind the curtain, under the quilt

an affectionate pair of mandarin ducks

here in the parrot’s cage

the talking hasn’t stopped

dew-streaked flowers, early morning

tell you of sorrowful faces

willows bending in evening wind

bring back pensive eyebrows

rosy clouds leave

they never come back

but Pan Yue’s in love and willing to wait

until his hair turns white.一枝月桂和煙秀。

萬樹江桃帶雨紅。

且醉尊前休悵望。

古來悲樂與今19同。

A laurel branch against the moon

matches the elegant mists

ten thousand peach trees by the river

stand in the rain, blooming red

if someone sets wine before you

you don’t act disappointed

from ancient days to the present

sorrow and joy are twins. [19]君

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

遊崇真觀南樓睹新及第題名處

Visiting the South Pavilion at Chongzhen Temple Where the Civil Service Exam Results Are Posted

雲峰滿目放春晴。

歷歷銀鉤指下生。

自恨羅衣掩詩句。

舉頭空羨榜中名。

Cloudy mountains fill my gaze—

I think they enjoy the spring

under skillful fingers

great calligraphy is born

I wish my woman’s clothing

didn’t obscure my poems

raising my head in vain

admiring the names on the honor rolls.

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

愁(秋)思

Melancholy Thoughts

落葉紛紛暮雨和。

朱20絲撫自清歌。

放情休恨無心友。

養性空拋苦海波。

長者車音門外有。

道家書卷枕前多。

布衣終作雲霄客。

綠水青山時一過。

Leaves falling one by one

and rain at dusk is tender

vermilion lute, playing alone

sound of a clear voice singing

try to ignore your regret

at having no intimate friends or lovers

try to build up your character

and cast your bitterness into the sea

sound of a carriage outside the door

come for some venerable elder

heaps of Taoist books

scattered in front of the pillow

raggedly dressed people

eventually go to heaven

green water and blue hills

already here and gone.

[20]冰

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

秋怨

Autumn Lament

自歎多情是足愁。

況當風月滿庭秋。

洞房偏與更聲近。

夜夜燈前欲白頭。

You sigh, you’re full of tenderness,

it’s more than you can bear

too many love affairs, too much wind and moon—

and the courtyard is loaded with autumn

the sound of the water-clock’s close by—

just outside your bridal chamber

and night by night, next to the lamp,

your hair is turning white.

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

江行

River Journey

大江橫抱武昌斜。

鸚鵡洲前戶萬21家。

畫舸春眠朝未足22。

夢為蝴蝶也尋花。We cross the Yangtze diagonally

heading for Wuchang city

passing Parrot Island where thousands of families live

in the early hours the painted barge

has a cargo of lovers and sleepers

and I dream I’ve become a butterfly

seeking the flowers too

煙花已入鸕鶿港。

畫舸猶沿23鸚鵡洲。

醉臥醒吟都不覺。

今朝驚在漢江頭。

Dim mist and we’re already sailing

into Cormorant Harbor

I thought we were still in the middle

somewhere near Parrot Island

I went to bed drunk, lay awake

singing all kinds of nonsense

got up on the Hanjiang River side

stunned to be back on dry land.

[21]萬戶 [22]猶未穩 [23]題

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

聞李端公垂釣回寄贈

Hearing Squire Li Had Gone Fishing, I Sent Him This Poem無限荷香染暑衣。

阮郎何處弄船歸。

自慚不及鴛鴦侶。

猶得雙雙近2425釣磯。

No limit to the lotuses’ fragrance

they match the color of your summer clothes

my darling, don’t pole your boat

into places you can’t get back from

I wish we could match the affection

of all those mandarin ducks

swimming around in pairs

close by your fishing rock.

[24]繞 [25]傍

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魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

題任處士創資福寺

The Zifu Temple, Founded by the Hermit Ren

幽人創奇境。

遊客駐26行程。

粉壁空留字。

蓮宮未有名。

鑿池泉自出。

開徑草重生。

百尺金輪閣。

當川豁眼明。

Someone who liked seclusion

built this marvelous place

now sightseers and tourists

can stop and rest awhile

they write their words in vain

upon the white-washed walls

in the palace of the lotus

their names cannot be found.

the pond is dug in such a way

that the spring flows naturally

the path is made so well

that grass grows lush beside it

the Golden Wheel Pavilion

is hundreds of feet high

and it faces the river—

clear, eye-catching, bright.[26]寄

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

題隱霧亭

The Yiinwu Pavilion

春花秋月入詩篇。

白日清宵是散仙。

空捲珠簾不曾下。

長移一榻對山眠。

Blossoms of spring, the autumn moon—

you have to turn them into poems

the bright days, the clear nights—

you feel surrounded by floating gods

I rolled up the curtain idly

and never rolled it back

I moved my couch to face the mountains

and slept here from then on.

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魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

重陽阻雨

The Double Ninth Festival Delayed by Rain

滿庭黃菊籬邊拆27。

兩朵芙蓉鏡裏開。

落帽臺前風雨阻。

不知何處醉金杯。

The courtyard is full of yellow chrysanthemums

all broken and drooping along the hedge

two flowers, hibiscus and image,

gape at each other’s reflections

I put my hat back on the table—

no going out in this wind and rain

and I’m too tipsy to recall where

I put down my golden cup.

[27]折

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27

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

早秋

Early Autumn嫩菊含新彩。

遠山閒28夕煙。

涼風驚綠樹。

清韻入朱弦。

思婦機中錦。

征人塞外夫。

雁飛魚在水。

書信若為傳。

Pastel chrysanthemum buds

shine like newly dyed silk

distant mountains

lounge in the sunset mist

a cool wind stirs

the great green trees

a clear song throbs

in the vermilion lute

pining for her husband

she spins to make brocade

he’s stationed beyond the Great Wall,

under the open sky

wild geese, fly there fast

fish, go through the waters

they need your comings and goings

to carry precious letters.

[28]閉

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

28

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

感懷寄人

Remembering Strong Emotions

恨寄朱弦上。

含情意不任。

早知雲雨會。

未起蕙蘭心。

灼灼桃兼李。

無妨國士尋。

蒼蒼松與桂。

仍羨世人欽。

月色苔階淨。

歌聲竹院深。

門前紅葉地。

不掃待知音。

I find myself full of hate

for this vermilion lute

when I know perfectly well

how much I ought to love it

remembering clouds and rain—

our passionate affair

I shouldn’t be stirring up

those lost perfumes

gifted disciples—

brilliant plums and peaches

nothing should hurt the career

of such an eminent scholar

dark green pines

vast and hazy laurels

admiration coming in

from people all over the world

the moonlight colors the moss

on the clear steps of the terrace

sound of a voice that’s singing

deep in a bamboo courtyard

red leaves all over the ground

and heaped against the door

not to be cleared away

until he comes to visit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

29

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

期友人阻雨不至

For a Friend Who Didn’t Arrive Because of Heavy Rain

雁魚空有信。

雞黍恨無期。

閉戶方籠月。

褰簾已散絲。

近泉鳴砌畔。

遠浪漲江渚。

鄉思悲秋客。

愁吟五字詩。

The wild geese and fish, those messengers,

have carried mail in vain

the rooster and the broom corn

are sad that we didn’t meet

I close the door and sigh

caught in a cage of moonlight

I lift the curtain and find its silk

already coming to pieces

close by, spring water whistles

crowding its stone channel

farther away, muddy waves

lap at the river’s banks

homesickness strikes travelers

out on the road in autumn

me, I recite an old poem—

five characters to the line. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------30

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

訪趙鍊師不遇

Visiting Master Zhao and Not Finding Him

何處同仙侶。

青衣獨在家。

暖爐留煮藥。

鄰院為煎茶。

畫壁燈光暗。

幡竿日影斜。

殷勤重回首。

牆外數枝花。

I wanted to be with someone

of spiritual refinement

I find his house is empty,

only the maid is home

his crucible’s still warm

from cooking up herb medicines

outside in the courtyard

tea leaves are still simmering

a few dim lamps

next to the painted walls

a long shadow by the signal pole

that faces the setting sun

as I leave I keep turning around

hoping to find he’s come back—

just a few blooming branches

brushing the outside walls.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

31

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

遣懷

Curing Yourself When Lovesick閑散身無事。

風光獨自遊。

斷雲江上月。

解纜海中舟。

琴弄蕭梁寺。

詩吟庾亮樓。

叢篁堪作伴。

片石好為儔。

燕雀徒為貴。

金銀志不求。

滿杯春酒綠。

對月夜窗幽。

繞砌澄清沼。

抽簪映細流。

臥床書冊遍。

半醉起梳頭。

You’re free and at leisure now

no company to distract you

you can travel by yourself

to see great sights and views

clouds part—there’s the river

and the bright moon overhead

loosen the mooring rope

and let your boat go drifting

play your lute

in old Liang dynasty temples

recite your poems

in Yu Liang’s garden pavilions

take bamboo groves

for boon companions

make friends with rocks

in steep outcroppings

and let your whole wealth be

ordinary swallows and sparrows

forget about gold and silver

forget about ambition

spring will fill your cup

with good green wine

moon will come silently by night

to visit at your window

walk around the pond

watch it clear and settle

take out your hairpin

by your reflection in the stream

and lie there in your bed

with books spread all around you

a little too happy to bother

rising to fix your hair.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

32

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

寄飛卿

Sent to Feiqing

階砌亂蛩鳴。

庭柯煙露清。

月中鄰樂響。

樓上遠山明。

珍簟涼風著。

瑤琴寄恨生。

嵇君懶書札。

底物慰秋情。

Crickets chirp on the stair-steps

they sound confused to me

in the misty courtyard, along the branches,

clear dewdrops hang

a moonlit night—I hear faint music

coming from my neighbor’s

if I went upstairs I could see the mountains

distinct even in the distance

a cool breeze comes to stroke me

as I sit on my bamboo mat

and I wish I had a magic lute

to help me get through this life

I feel like that philosopher

who wrote such lazy letters

wanting some way to express

the moods and thoughts of autumn.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

33

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

過鄂州

Visiting Ezhou

柳拂蘭撓花滿枝。

石城城下暮帆遲。

折牌29峰上三閭墓。

遠火山頭五馬旗。

白雪調高題舊寺。

陽春歌在換新詞。

莫愁魂逐清江去。

空使行人萬首詩。

Willows get in the way, orchids are grotesque,

blossoms smother their branches

below Stone City’s walls the boats

sail slowly through the dusk

what’s on top of Zhepai mountain﹖

the ancient poet Qu Yuan’s grave

what’s on Yuanhuo peak?

the flags of the magistrate’s carriage

white snow makes a high, thin music

writing its poems on old temples

sunlit spring is a new poem

set to a brilliant melody

don’t be sad that a soul

fords the clear river and is gone—

that’s what makes travelers compose

ten thousand poems in vain.

[29]碑 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

34

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

夏日山居

Living in the Mountains in Summer

移得仙居此地來。

花叢自偏不曾栽。

庭前亞樹張衣桁。

坐上新泉泛酒杯。

軒檻暗傳深竹徑。

綺羅長擁亂書堆。

閒乘畫舫吟明月。

信任輕風吹卻回。

I’ve moved and now I live up here

where gods could make their homes

the shrubs and thickets mix and bloom—

nobody had to plant them

the little tree in the courtyard

is where I hang my laundry

all the wine I can drink from

this mountain spring I sit by

my windows and my hallways

go deep through the bamboo trail

I use my silky clothes

to wrap up heaps of scattered books

rowing out idly in my decorated boat

chanting poems to the radiant moon

and the light breeze blows and blows—

I can trust it to bring me back.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

35

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

暮春即事

Late Spring Improvisation深巷窮門少侶儔。

阮郎唯有夢中留。

香飄羅綺誰家席。

風送歌聲何處樓。

街近鼓鼙喧曉睡。

庭閒鵲語亂春愁。

安能追逐人間事。

萬里身同不繫舟。

Very few visitors or lovers

come through this alley to this hidden door

and as for someone I can really cherish

I meet him only in dreams

perfumed gauze and damask—

whose empty seat at the banquet?

songs carried on the wind—

coming from what pavilion?

around here it’s mostly army drums

disrupting morning sleep

nothing but magpies in the courtyard

chattering through spring sorrow

how could I hope to have any part

in the world of grand events

my own life at such a distance

and no place to tie up my boat?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

36

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

代人悼亡

Joining Somebody’s Mourning

曾睹夭桃想玉姿。

帶風楊柳認蛾眉。

珠歸龍窟知誰見。

鏡在鸞臺話向誰。

從此夢悲煙雨夜。

不堪吟苦寂寥時。

西山日落東山月。

恨想無因有了期。

You’ve seen her, bloom of the peach,

posture graceful as jade

breeze through willows and poplars

delicate arch of the eyebrows

pearl hoard in a dragon’s cave

that shock of recognition

glimpsed in the mirror at state functions

happy among the chitchat

now changed to a somber dream

lost in mist on a rainy night

hating to hear the story

of bitter times and solitude

hills to the west, sunset

hills to the east, moonrise

and thoughts of loss

that are never going to end.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

37

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

和人

Letter to a Friend茫茫九陌無知己。

暮去朝來典繡衣。

寶匣鏡昏蟬鬢亂。

博山爐暖30麝煙微。

多情公子春留句。

少思文君畫掩扉。

莫惜羊車頻列載。

柳絲31梅綻正芳菲。

Both busy streets and country roads

are empty without good friends

evenings go, mornings come,

and I pawn my embroidered dress

the dusky mirror, frail in its special box,

shows me my delicate hair, tangled across my face

my incense burner, curiously carved,

creates a haze of musky smoke

lovesick with spring, wealthy young men

leave me urgent messages

sometimes I think of famous beauties

their portraits in the doorways

lovers’ chariots don’t spare

to line up at my door

willows bend thoughtfully and plum blossoms burst

rich with fragrance, just in time.

[30]冷 [31]舒

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

38

魚玄機

六言詩 Six-character

隔漢江寄子安

Sent to Zian, Long Distance, from the Hanjiang River江南江北愁望。

相思相憶空吟。

鴛鴦暖臥沙浦。

鸂鶒閒飛橘林。

煙裏歌聲隱隱。

渡頭月色沈沈。

含情咫尺千里。

況聽家家還砧。Gazing across at each other, helpless,

from the north and south banks of this river

frustrated, speaking each other’s poems,

recalling our times together

—that pair of mandarin ducks looks happy

swimming warmly next to the sandbar

and those two teals are without a care

as they fly through the tangerine grove

I hear a faint sound of singing now

rising up with the chimney smoke

I watch the deep and brilliant moonlight

next to the empty ferry slip

even if we were a few feet apart

my feelings would have to cross miles

listening sadly as they pound laundry

in distant family compounds.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------39

魚玄機

五言詩 Five-character poem

寓言

An Allegory紅桃處處春色。

碧柳家家月明。

樓上新妝待夜。

閨中獨坐含情。

芙蓉月32下戲魚。

螮蝀天邊雀33聲。

人世悲歡一夢。

如何得作雙成。

Peach blossoms everywhere, pink

color of spring

silver willows by every house

moon-bright

someone upstairs, trying on new clothes

waiting for nightfall

somebody else, alone in her bedroom

drowning in tenderness

the carp play around with the lotuses

under the moon

the sparrows call out to the rainbow

at the horizon

joys and sorrows, these are the dreams

we have in this world

why do they always come to us

in pairs?

[32]葉 [33]鶴 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

江陵愁望寄子安

Letter to Zian, Sad from Gazing into the Distance, from Jiangling

楓葉千枝復萬枝。

江橋掩映暮帆遲。

憶君心似西江水。

日夜東流無歇時。

The maple leaves on their trees

branch after branch

at sunset the river bridge

frames the returning boats

oh my lord this longing for you

is like the water in West River

flowing east all day, all night

never a moment of rest.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------41

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

寄子安

Sent to Zian醉別千卮不浣愁。

離腸百結解無由。

蕙蘭銷歇歸春圃。

楊柳東西絆客舟。

聚散已悲34雲不定。

恩情須學水長流。

有花時節知難遇。

未宜厭厭醉玉樓。

Someone is drunk, but a thousand wine-pots

can’t wash off the melancholy

somebody wants a way to untie

a hundred sad knots of separation

the orchids go off for a little rest

in spring they return to the gardens

and willows growing to the east and west

entangle the boats of travelers

sadness of being together, sadness of parting,

the clouds keep changing their shapes

love and affection should be like the river

whose current never stops

in the season of blossoms it’s hard

to find an intimate lover

who wants to get drunk

all alone sitting up here in Jade Tower?

[34]愁

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

42

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

送別

Saying Goodbye

秦樓35幾夜愜心期。

不料仙郎有別離。

睡覺莫言36雲去處。

殘燈一盞野蛾飛。Several nights in this gorgeous pavilion

and I began to have expectations

until my darling surprised me—

he had to be off on a journey

so I sleep alone and don’t discuss

the whereabouts of clouds

around the lamp, now almost spent,

one lost moth is circling.

[35]層城 [36]不嫌

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------43

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

迎李近仁員外

A Warm Note to Squire Li Jinren

今日喜時聞喜鵲。

昨宵燈下拜燈花。

焚香出戶迎潘岳。

不羨牽牛織女家。

Today I’m happy, hearing

the chatter of the magpies

last night in the lamplight

both of us burned the candle

lighting some incense I step outside

to greet my handsome guest

I don’t even envy that happy couple

the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------44

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

送別

Saying Goodbye, II水柔37逐器知難定。

雲出無心宜再歸。

惆悵春風楚江暮。

鴛鴦一隻失群飛。

Softly the water chases itself,

knowing it’s hard to be settled and certain

clouds arrive without any plan

and we wish we could call them back

a desolate spring breeze,

the Yangtze stretched out in the twilight

and a mandarin duck, swimming alone—

its flock already gone.

[37]流

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

45

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

左名場自澤州至京使人傳語

Letter to an Exam Candidate, from Shanxi to the Capital

閑居作賦幾年愁。

王屋山前是舊遊。

詩詠東西千嶂亂。

馬隨南北一泉流。

曾陪雨夜同歡席。

別後花時獨上樓。

忽喜扣門傳語至。

為憐鄰巷小房幽。

相如琴罷朱弦斷。

雙燕巢分白露秋。

莫倦38蓬門時一訪。

每春忙在曲江頭。

I’ve stayed at home here, idle,

mostly composing poems

for several sorrowful years

gazing out toward

the Wangwu Mountains

site of our old excursions

reciting my verses, facing

east, facing west, mixed up—

a mountain range with a thousand peaks

or a horse that wanders south

and then heads north—

whichever way the brook flows—

remembering rainy nights

we two spent together

feasting

and then, after saying goodbye

in the blossom season,

climbing the stairs alone

and the sudden knock on the door—

oh happy little door

announcing your arrival

and the quiet lane

where our secluded house

was set apart for love . . .

Xiangru’s lute has stopped

its red strings

snapped

a pair of nesting swallows

separate

in the white dew of autumn

don’t forget about your

rural friend—

visit once in a while!

every spring there’s busy traffic

here in the Yangtze Delta—

you can catch a ride!

[38]厭

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

46

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

和人次韻

Reply to a Poem, Matching the Form喧喧朱紫雜人寰。

獨自清吟日39色間。

何事玉郎搜藻思。

忽將瓊韻扣柴關。

白花發詠慚稱謝。

僻巷深居謬學顏。

不用多情欲相見。

松蘿高處是前山。

The blood-red bustle, the purple muddle

of this human world . . .

alone and quiet, chanting,

in the midst of sunlit scenery

giving up wanting a lover

or hoping for literary fame

conceiving a wonderful poem

in the midst of a fortified village

plain flowers, so simple and right

I’m ashamed to express my gratitude

residing secluded, in a back lane,

becoming a sage like Yan Yuan

so full of affection there’s no need

to long for company all the time

just as pines and other such plants are content

simply to live among mountains.[39]月 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

47

魚玄機

七言詩 Seven-character poem

光威裒姊妹三人少孤而始妍乃有是作精粹難儔

雖謝家聯雪何以加(如)之有客自京師來者示予因次其韻

Three Beautiful Sisters, Orphaned Young

昔聞南國容華少。

今日東鄰姊妹三。

妝閣相看鸚鵡賦。

碧窗應繡鳳凰衫。

紅芳滿院參差折。

綠醑盈杯次第銜。

恐向瑤池曾作女。

謫來塵世未為男。

文姬有貌終堪比。

西子無言我更慚。

一曲豔歌琴杳杳。

四弦輕撥語喃喃。

當臺競鬥青絲髮。

對月爭誇白玉簪。

小有洞中松露滴。

大羅天上柳煙含。

但能為雨心長在。

不怕吹簫事未諳。

阿母幾嗔花下語。

潘郎曾向夢中參。

暫持清句魂猶斷。

若睹紅顏死亦甘。

悵望佳人何處在。

行雲歸北又歸南。

We used to hear about the south,

its splendid fresh appearance

now it’s these eastern neighbors

these sisters three

up in the loft, inspecting their trousseaus

reciting a verse about parrots

sitting by blue-green windows

embroidering phoenix garments

their courtyard filled with colorful petals

like red smoke, billowing unevenly

their cups full of good green wine

tasted one by one

It’s dreadful, staring into the mystic pond,

knowing you’ll always be female

banished from heaven, stuck in this life,

unable to do what men do

a poet who happens to have some beauty,

ends up being compared

to a gorgeous woman who’s silent—

that makes me feel ashamed

me, singing solo love songs

upon this vanishing zither

plucking the four strings softly

murmuring the words

facing my mirror and dressing table

to admire my black silk hair

as if I could rival the moon

by flaunting a white jade hairpin

A little cave among the pines

where dew drips down

the sky above the willows

a great net filled with mist

when you can be like the rain

your heart will have strength to go on

and you won’t be afraid to blow the flute

before you’ve fully mastered it

my mother would get upset

because I talked to flowers

and my lover was from the past

a poet who came to me in dreams

The spirit makes fine, fresh verses

and then is broken

it’s like watching a lovely young woman

give up her will to live

these gorgeous young creatures

who knows what they’ll come to?

the clouds float north

the clouds float south.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

48

魚玄機

魚玄機七言詩 Seven-character poem

折楊柳

Snapping Willows

朝朝送別泣花鈿。

折盡春風楊柳煙。

願得西山無樹木。

免教人作淚懸懸。

Saying goodbye, morning after morning,

weeping, wearing flower jewelry

picking misty willow wands

in strong spring breeze

I wish West Hill

were bare of trees

I keep thinking that would help

to stop these falling tears.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

49

魚玄機

五言,七言詩 Five-character ,Seven-character poem


Fragments

焚香登玉壇。

端簡禮金闕。

Burning incense

climbs the jade altar

I hold an invitation

to a golden palace ceremony.明月照幽隙。

清風開短襟。40Brilliant moonlight

shining in a hidden clearing

crisp wind blows open

the front of a short gown.

綺陌春望遠。

瑤徽春興多。

Gorgeous fields along the road

a deep springtime vista

beautiful emblem of the season

source of my playful mood.

殷勤不得語。

紅淚一雙流。Pleading,

unable to speak

red tears, first one, then

a pair, traveling down.

雲情自鬱爭同夢。

仙貌長芳又勝花。41

The high cloud loves itself

so why these gloomy common dreams?

the heavenly look lasts . . .

again that fragrance, better than flowers.