How to Read Chinese Poetry A Guided Anthology

(Amelia) #1

66 t He Han Dy na s t y
Are striped and streaked like patterned fish scales. 玢豳文磷 (bīn bīn wén lín)
Red jade, mottled and marbled, 赤瑕駁犖 (chì xiá bó luò)
Are mixed and mingled among them. 雜臿其間 (zhá chā qí jiān)
Morning iridescence, rounded and pointed jades, 鼂采琬琰 (zhào căi wăn yăn)
200 Mr. He’s jade come there. 和氏出焉 (hé shì chū yān)
And then 於是乎 (yú shì hū)
Black kumquats that ripen in summer, 盧橘夏孰 (lú jú xià shú)
Yellow mandarins, coolie oranges, pomelos, 黃甘橙楱 (huáng gān chéng còu)
Loquats, wild jujubes, persimmons, 枇杷橪柿 (pí pá rán shì)
Wild pears, apples, magnolias, 亭柰厚朴 (tíng nài hòu pú)
205 Date palms, box myrtles, 梬棗楊梅 (yĭng zăo yáng méi)
Cherries, grapes, 櫻桃蒲陶 (yīng táo pú táo)
Dark poplars, dwarf cherries, 隱夫薁棣 (yĭn fū yù dì)
Plums and litchees 荅遝離支 (dá tà lí zhī)
Are spread among the rear palaces, 羅乎後宮 (luó hū hòu gōng)
210 Form rows in the northern orchards, 列乎北園 (liè hū bĕi yuán)
Stretch over hills and mounds, 貤丘陵 (yì qiū líng)
Descend to the level plain. 下平原 (xià píng yuán)
They wave their emerald leaves, 揚翠葉 (yáng cuì yè)
Sway their purple stalks, 扤紫莖 (wù zĭ jìng)
215 Burst with red blossoms, 發紅華 (fā hóng huá)
Hang with vermilion blooms. 垂朱榮 (chuí zhū róng)
Bright and brilliant, grand and glorious, 煌煌扈扈 (huáng huáng hù hù)
They splendently sparkle in the vast fields. 照曜鉅野 (zhào yào jù yĕ)
Apples, oaks, 沙棠櫟櫧 (shā táng lì zhŭ)
220 White birch, liquidambars, gingkos, sumacs, 華楓枰櫨 (huá fēng ping lú)
Pomegranates, coconuts, 留落胥邪 (liú luò xù yé)
Betel palms, windmill palms, 仁頻并閭 (rén pín bìng lǚ)
Sandalwoods, magnolias, 欃檀木蘭 (chán tán mù lán)
Camphors, and wax trees: 豫章女貞 (yù zhāng nǚ zhēn)
225 Grow a thousand yards tall, 長千仞 (cháng qiān rèn)
So wide only joined hands can span them. 大連抱 (dà lián bào)
Their blossoms and branches unfolding straight, 夸條直暢 (kuā tiáo zhí chàng)
Their fruits and leaves lush and luxuriant. 實葉葰楙 (shí yè jùn mào)
The trees stand in thickets, lean in clusters, 攢立叢倚 (cuán lì cóng yĭ)
230 Bent and bowed, clinging together, then
cleaving apart, 連卷欐佹 (lián juăn lĭ guĭ)
Tangled and twined, twisted and gnarled, 崔錯癹骫 (cuī cuò bó wĕi)
Locked as in combat, in layered limbs. 坑衡閜砢 (kēng héng ĕ luŏ)
Drooping branches spread and splay, 垂條扶疏 (cuí tiáo fú shū)
Falling petals fly and flutter. 落英幡纚 (luò yīng fān shĭ)
235 Lush and luxuriant, closely clustered, 紛溶萷蔘 (fēn róng xiāo shēn)
They swing and sway with the wind, 猗柅從風 (yī ní cóng fēng)
Which sighs and soughs, whistles and whiffles, 藰莅芔歙 (liú lì huì xī)

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