f u P oe t ry : an anC i e n t-s t y l e r Ha P s oDy 63
Dwell submerged in the deep recesses. 潛處乎深巖 (qián chù hū shēn yán)
Fish and turtles noisily sound forth; 魚鼈讙聲 (yú biē huān shēng)
Myriad creatures throng in great numbers. 萬物眾夥 (wàn wù zhòng huŏ)
Luminous moons and pearlets 明月珠子 (míng yuè zhū zĭ)
90 Gleam and glow on the riverbanks. 的皪江靡 (dì lì jiāng mí)
Shu stone, yellow quartz, 蜀石黃碝 (shŭ shí huáng ruăn)
Rock crystal heaped high: 水玉磊砢 (shuĭ yù lĕi kē)
Spangling and sparkling, glittering and glistening, 磷磷爛爛 (lín lín làn làn)
Their colors and hues brightly shining, 采色澔汗 (căi sè hào hàn)
95 Are thickly gathered within them. 叢積乎其中 (yè jī hū qí zhōng)
Swan geese, kingfishers, swans, bustards, 鴻鷫鵠鴇 (hóng sù hú băo)
Wild geese, white herons, 鴐鵞屬玉 (jià é zhŭ yù)
Night herons, revolving eyes, 交精旋目 (jiāo jīng xuán mù)
Hornbills, dike ducks, 煩鶩庸渠 (fán wù yōng qú)
100 Needle beaks, and cormorants, 箴疵鵁盧 (zhēn cī xiāo lú)
Swim in flocks on the surface, 羣浮乎其上 (qún fú hū qí shàng)
Freely floating, wandering at will, 汎淫氾濫 (fàn yín fàn làn)
Tossed and tumbled with the wind, 風澹淡 (fēng dàn dàn)
Bobbing and rocking with the waves, 與波搖蕩 (yŭ bō yáo dàng)
105 Resting and roosting on the river holms, 奄薄水陼 (yān bó shuĭ zhŭ)
Nibbling at water grass and horsetail, 唼喋菁藻 (shà zhà jīng zăo)
Chewing caltrop and lotus. 咀嚼菱藕 (jŭ jué líng ŏu)
i i i
“And then the lofty mountains spire on high: 於是乎崇山矗矗 (yú shì hū chóng shān chù chù)
Arching aloft, tall and towering, 巃嵸崔巍 (lóng sŏng cuī wéi)
110 Densely forested with giant trees, 深林巨木 (shēn lín jù mù)
Steeply scarped, jaggedly jutting. 嶄巖參差 (chán yán cēn cī)
Jiuzong rises sheer and sharp,10 九嵕巀嶭 (jiŭ zōng zá è)
Southern Mountains soar solemn and stately,11 南山峨峨 (nán shān é é)
Their cliffs and ledges, like tottering cauldrons, 巖阤甗錡 (yán yĭ yăn qí)
115 Stand precipitously piled, jagged and steep 摧崣崛崎 (cuī wĕi jué qí)
Waters collect in streams, converge in gullies, 振溪通谷 (zhèn xī tōng gŭ)
Which twist and twine into cloughs and channels. 蹇產溝瀆 (jiăn chăn gōu dú)
Valley mouths widely gape and yawn, 谽呀豁閜 (hān yā huò xiă)
Mounds rise from the waters, each a separate isle. 阜陵別隝 (fù líng bié dăo)
120 The hills, rugged and ragged, 崴磈岧瘣 (wēi kuí tiáo huì)
Hillocky and hummocky, rolling and rearing, 丘虛堀礨 (qiū xū jué lĕi)
Cragged and crannied, 隱轔鬱鵾 (yĭn lín yù lĕi)
Rise and fall, wind and weave. 登降施靡 (dēng jiàng yī mí)
Where the land slopes and slants, gradually
levels out, 陂池貏豸 (pí chí bĭ zhì)
125 The waters stream forth in a flooding flow, 允溶淫鬻 (yŭn róng yín yù)
Scattering and spreading over the level plain, 散渙夷陸 (săn huàn yí lù)