A Selection of Autunm Poems by Fan Cheng Da (1126-1193) Tr. by Kong Shiu Loon

《秋日田园杂兴》__范成大 (1226-1193)mid-autumn_e

Autumn (7)

中秋全景属潜夫    棹入空明看太湖
身外水天银一色    城中有此月明无

How beautiful the Mid-Autumn Fest it’s all for me
I sail in the serene clear space the TaiLake I’ll see
Beyond my soul water and sky a silver constellation
I wonder how city folks could see such illumination

Autumn (2)door_e

朱门巧夕沸欢声    田舍黄昏静掩扃
男解牵牛女能织    不须徼福渡河星

Behind crimson doors laughter and songs thrive
At dusk the farmer closes his door for a quiet night
The husband leads in his oxen the wife cares for her weave
Happy are they on earth more than in celestial sphere

Autumn (3) silkworm_e

橘蠹如蚕入化机    枝间垂茧似蓑衣
忽然蜕作多花蝶    翅粉才乾便学飞。

Like tangerine growth the silkworm is in transformation mote
A cocoon dangles on a bough flexi as a bamboo-leave coat
Of a sudden it blossoms into a multi-colored moth
Soon as its wings dry it stretches out to fly forth

Autumn (4)watch_e

静看檐蛛结网低    无端妨碍小虫飞
蜻蜒倒挂蜂儿窘    催唤山童为解围

I quietly watch the spider weaving its web under the eave
It plots to catch small insects flying pass the web sieve
A dragonfly hanging on its tail and a bee struggling to free
I send an idling boy to release the victims from siege

Autumn (5)complete_e

垂成穑事苦艰难    忌雨嫌风更怯寒
牋诉天公休掠剩    半赏私债半输官

Farming for grain is hardship not easy to endure
Untimely rain, wind and cold are feared
We beg for mercy that harvest is not all taken away
Half goes to pay for debts half goes to taxes in sway

Autumn (6)autumn comes_e

秋来只怕雨垂垂    甲子无云万事宜
获稻毕工随晒谷    直须晴到入仓时

Autumn comes our only concern is to see rain
All is well if clouds stay thin and faint
Harvests done the unthreshed grains spread out to sun
We pray for sunny days until all grains are in the barn

Autumn (12)new frost_e

新霜彻晓报秋深    染尽青林作缬林
惟有橘园风景异    碧丛丛里万黄金

New frost through the night marks autumn deep
Yesterday’s green forest now invites a broidered peep
Behold the scenic extraordinaire of my orange grove
Amid layers of emerald trees hang ten thousand orbs of gold

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *