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 cces back and cces 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 gcceous colored clouds
stitched into quilted robes
wonderful perfume ccing
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 ccmand
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 ccpose on their own
as poetry books form a circle
around the thoughtful self
and a modest talent for verse
begins to cce 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 cce 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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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 cce 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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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 ccing 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 cce back home
only the other day
wild swans and geese
were heading north
this morning they came again
honking and calling
migrating south
springs cce
autumns go
heart-sorrow stays
autumns go
springs cce
and still no news
she slides the bolts
of her red doors—nobody’s ccing
why bother
pounding the laundry
or washing the curtains?[12]違
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11
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 cce 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 ccet
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 acccplish 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 gcce 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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18
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 cce 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
cce 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 becce 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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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 ccings and goings
to carry precious letters.
[28]閉
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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 ccing 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 cces 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 ccing 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 cce 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 ccpany 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 ccpanions
make friends with rocks
in steep outcroppings
and let your whole wealth be
ordinary swallows and sparrows
fccet about gold and silver
fccet about ambition
spring will fill your cup
with good green wine
moon will cce 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
ccing from my neighbor’s
if i went upstairs i could see the mountains
distinct even in the distance
a cool breeze cces 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 ccpose
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
cce 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—
ccing 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 cce,
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 ccpounds.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------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 cce 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 gcceous 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 ccposing 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 fccet 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,
beccing a sage like yan yuan
so full of affection there’s no need
to long for ccpany 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 ccpared
to a gcceous 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 gcceous young creatures
who knows what they’ll cce 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
句
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。
gcceous 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 ccmon dreams?
the heavenly look lasts . . .
again that fragrance, better than flowers.