Category: Poems by – 王維 (701-761)

獨坐幽篁裡  彈琴复長嘯
深林人不知  明月來相照

A Cot on Bamboo Hill            Wang Wei(701-761)        江紹倫譯

I sat alone in a bamboo grove
Playing the lute I croon having nothing to prove
Here in the deep wood no one knows me
The moon my friend cares to shine on me

君自故鄉來  應知故鄉事
來日綺窗前  寒梅著花未

A Recontre     Wang Wei（698－756）江紹倫譯

Since you just came from my native land
I wonder if you hold large and small events in hand
Whence you passed by the window of my home
Was the winter plum already in bloom

獨在異鄉為異客        每逢佳節倍思親
遙知兄弟登高處        遍插茱萸少一人

To my Brothers on Double-Nine Festival                江紹倫譯

Alone a stranger I remain in foreign land
At every festival I pine for my dear ones in fervent
From here I can see my brothers ascending the mountains with fun
Everywhere they plant dogwood spray but find the team missing one

積雨空林煙火遲      蒸藜炊黍餉東菑
漠漠水田飛白鷺      陰陰夏木囀黃鸝
山中習靜觀朝槿      松下清齋折露葵
野老與人爭席罷      海鷗何事更相疑

At My Wanchuan Retreat During Rain                   江紹倫譯

The rain-soaked forest has my firewood delayed
I cook millet and vegetable to entertain
Over the spacious water fields egrets glide
In the shaded summer woods yellow orioles cry
Quietly I watch the althea thrive in the morning sun
And dine with friendly pines savouring dewy mallows with fun
A rustic old man I’m now folks befriend me in delight
Why seagulls stay in air suspicious and not alight

中歲頗好道    晚家南山陲
興來每獨往    勝事空自知
行到水窮處    坐看雲起時
偶然值林叟    談笑無還期

Retirement at South Hill                   江紹倫譯

I became at mid-life a true believer of Dao
I retire to settle at the foot of South Hill when old
Here I loiter at will with not much in mind
And review in solitude the good deeds I’ve left behind
I saunter to where the mountain stream no longer flows
I sit waiting to watch rising clouds afloat
By chance I meet a firewood gatherer as I roam
We chat and cheer forgetting ’tis time to return home

下馬飲君酒    問君何所之
君言不得意    歸臥南山陲
但去莫複問    白雲無盡時

Farewell       Wang Wei                                                                       江紹倫譯

We dismounted our horses to have a cup of wine
I ask for your destination before we say good-bye
You say you have left your unhappy career aside
And on your way home where South Mount stands behind
I say not a word more as I see you on your way
Knowing well you’ll have no lack of white clouds for company where you stay