诗 (历代诸家) 唐宋明清诗（唐）十四

鱼玄机小传

字幼微一字蕙兰。

长安里家女。

喜读书。

有才思。

补闕李忆纳为妾。

爱衰。

遂从冠帔於咸宜观。

后以笞杀女童绿翘事。

为京兆温璋所戳。

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鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

赋得江边柳 (临江树)

Poem for the Willows by the River

翠1色连2荒岸。

烟姿入远楼。

影3铺秋水面。

花落钓人4头。

根老藏鱼5窟。

枝低系6客舟。

萧萧风雨夜。

惊梦復添愁。

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]叶 [4]磯 [5]龙 [6]拂

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鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

赠邻女 (寄李亿员外)

Sent to a Neighbor Woman Friend

羞日遮7罗袖。

愁春懒起妆。

易求无价宝。

难得有心郎。

枕上潜垂泪。

花间暗断肠。

自能窥宋玉。

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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鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

寄国香

The Fragrance of Orchids旦夕醉吟身。

相思又此春8。

雨中寄书使。

窗下断肠人。

山捲珠帘看。

愁隨芳草新。

別来清宴上。

几度落梁尘。

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 comes back and comes 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]何处申

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鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

寄题链师 (第三句缺一字。

第四句缺一字 )

Tribute to a Master Alchemist

霞彩翦为衣。

添香出绣幃。

芙蓉花叶【】。

山水帔【】稀。

驻履闻鶯语。

开笼\放鹤飞。

高堂春睡觉。

暮雨正霏霏。

The gorgeous colored clouds

stitched into quilted robes

wonderful perfume coming

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

鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem poem

寄刘尚书

Sent to Secretary Liu八座镇雄军。

歌谣满路新。

汾川三月雨。

晋水百花春。

囹圄长空锁。

干戈久覆尘。

儒僧观子夜。

羈客醉红茵。

笔砚行隨手。

诗书坐绕身。

小材9多顾盼。

得作食鱼人。

I know you used to command

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 compose on their own

as poetry books form a circle

around the thoughtful self

and a modest talent for verse

begins to come to the surface

the way the orange carp rise

when you scatter food on their pond.

[9]才

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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

浣纱庙

Washing Yarn Temple

吴越相谋\计策多。

浣纱神女已相和。

一双笑靨纔回面。

十万精兵尽倒戈。

范蠡功成身隱遯。

伍胥諫死国消磨。

只今诸暨长江畔。

空有青山号苧萝。

State plots against state

intrigues come 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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

卖残牡丹

Selling the Last Peonies

临风兴叹落花频。

芳意潜消又一春。

应为价高人不问。

却缘香甚蝶难亲。

红英只称生宫裏。

翠叶那堪染路尘。

及至移根上林苑。

王孙方恨买无因。

Facing the wind makes us sigh

we know how many flowers fall

spring has come 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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

酬李学士寄簟

To Thank the Scholar Li for the Gift of a Bamboo Mat

珍簟新铺翡翠楼。

泓澄玉水记方流。

唯应云扇10情相似。

同向银床恨早秋。

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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

情书(书情)寄李子安(一本题下有补闕二字)

Love Letter to Li Zian

饮冰食檗志无功。

晋水壶关在梦中。

秦镜欲分愁墮11鹊。

舜琴將弄怨飞鸿。

井边桐叶鸣秋雨。

窗下银灯暗晓风。

书信茫茫何处问。

持竿尽日碧江空。

I suck melting ice and munch cork bark

and still make no sense of my life

Jinshui River and Huguan Pass

keep coming 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]坠

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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character

闺怨

Boudoir Bitterness

蘼芜盈手泣斜暉。

闻道邻家夫婿归。

別日南鸿纔北去。

今朝北雁又南飞。

春来秋去相思在。

秋去春来信息稀12。

扃闭朱门人不到。

砧声何事透罗幃。

The grass overgrown with weeds

fills her hands

as she weeps in the late sunlight

she’s just heard

her neighbor’s husband has come back home

only the other day

wild swans and geese

were heading north

this morning they came again

honking and calling

migrating south

springs come

autumns go

heart-sorrow stays

autumns go

springs come

and still no news

she slides the bolts

of her red doors—nobody’s coming

why bother

pounding the laundry

or washing the curtains?[12]违

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鱼玄机

七言诗 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。

冰销远涧怜清韵。

雪远寒峰想玉姿。

莫听凡歌春病酒。

休招闲客夜贪棋。

如松匪石盟长在。

比翼连襟会肯迟。

虽恨独行冬尽日。

终期相见月圆时。

別君何物堪持赠。

泪落晴光一首诗。

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 come 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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

打毬作

Watching Them Play Polo

坚圆净滑一星流。

月杖爭敲未擬休。

无滯碍时从拨弄。

有遮栏处任鉤留。

不辞宛转长隨手。

却恐相將不到头。

毕竟入门应始了。

愿君爭取最前筹。

Firm, round, clean and smooth,

the ball goes by like a comet

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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鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

暮春有感寄友人

Sent to a Friend in a Late Spring Mood

鶯语惊残梦。

轻妆改泪容。

竹阴初月薄。

江静晚烟浓。

溼觜衔泥燕。

香须採蕊蜂。

独怜无限思。

吟罢亚枝松。

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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

冬夜寄温飞卿

Sent to Wen Feiqing on a Winter Night

苦思14搜诗15灯下吟。

不眠长夜怕寒衾。

满庭木叶愁风起。

透幌纱窗惜月沈。

疏散未闲终遂愿。

盛衰空见本来心。

幽棲莫定梧桐处。

暮雀啾啾空绕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 accomplish 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]忆 [15]思 [16]绕竹 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------15

鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

酬李郢夏日钓鱼回见示

A Poem Sent to Li Ying to Match His "Fishing in Summer"

住处虽同巷。

经年不一过。

清词劝17旧女。

香桂折新柯。

道性欺冰雪。

禪心笑綺罗。

跡登霄汉上。

无路接烟波。

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]欢

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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

次韵西邻新居兼乞酒

Matching Poem for My New Neighbor to the West, Inviting Him over for Wine一首诗来百度吟。

新情18字字又声金。

西看已有登垣意。

远望能无化石心。

河汉期赊空极目。

瀟湘梦断罢调琴。

况逢寒节添乡思。

寂夜佳醪莫独斟。

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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

和友人次韵

A Matching Poem, Reply to a Friend

何事能销旅馆愁。

红牋开处见银鉤。

蓬山雨洒千峰小。

嶰谷风吹万叶秋。

字字朝看轻碧玉。

篇篇夜诵在衾裯。

欲將香匣收藏却。

且惜时吟在手头。

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 Gorge 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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

和新及第悼亡诗二首

Two Poems﹕ For the Successful Candidates of the Civil Service Examand Grief for a Death

仙籍人间不久留。

片时已过十经秋。

鸳鸯帐下香犹暖。

鸚鵡笼\中语未休。

朝露缀花如脸恨。

晚风敧柳似眉愁。

彩云一去无消息。

潘岳多情欲白头。

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 come back

but Pan Yue’s in love and willing to wait

until his hair turns white.一枝月桂和烟秀。

万树江桃带雨红。

且醉尊前休悵望。

古来悲乐与今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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

游崇真观南楼睹新及第题名处

Visiting the South Pavilion at Chongzhen Temple Where the Civil Service Exam Results Are Posted

云峰满目放春晴。

歷歷银鉤指下生。

自恨罗衣掩诗句。

举头空羡榜中名。

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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

愁(秋)思

Melancholy Thoughts

落叶纷纷暮雨和。

朱20丝抚自清歌。

放情休恨无心友。

养性空拋苦海波。

长者车音门外有。

道家书卷枕前多。

布衣终作云霄客。

绿水青山时一过。

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

come 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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

秋怨

Autumn Lament

自叹多情是足愁。

况当风月满庭秋。

洞房偏与更声近。

夜夜灯前欲白头。

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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

江行

River Journey

大江横抱武昌斜。

鸚鵡洲前户万21家。

画舸春眠朝未足22。

梦为蝴蝶也寻花。

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 become a butterfly

seeking the flowers too

烟花已入鸕鶿\港。

画舸犹沿23鸚鵡洲。

醉臥醒吟都不觉。

今朝惊在汉江头。

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]万户 [22]犹未稳 [23]题

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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

闻李端公垂钓回寄赠

Hearing Squire Li Had Gone Fishing, I Sent Him This Poem无限荷香染暑衣。

阮郎何处弄船归。

自惭不及鸳鸯侣。

犹得双双近2425钓磯。

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]绕 [25]傍

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鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

题任处士创资福寺

The Zifu Temple, Founded by the Hermit Ren

幽人创奇境。

游客驻26行程。

粉壁空留字。

莲宫未有名。

凿池泉自出。

开径草重生。

百尺金轮阁。

当川豁眼明。

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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

题隱雾亭

The Yiinwu Pavilion

春花秋月入诗篇。

白日清宵是散仙。

空捲珠帘不曾下。

长移一榻对山眠。

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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鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

重阳阻雨

The Double Ninth Festival Delayed by Rain

满庭黄菊篱边拆27。

两朵芙蓉镜裏开。

落帽台前风雨阻。

不知何处醉金杯。

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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鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

早秋

Early Autumn嫩菊含新彩。

远山闲28夕烟。

凉风惊绿树。

清韵入朱弦。

思妇机中锦\。

征人塞外夫。

雁飞鱼在水。

书信若为传。

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 comings and goings

to carry precious letters.

[28]闭

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

28

鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

感怀寄人

Remembering Strong Emotions

恨寄朱弦上。

含情意不任。

早知云雨会。

未起蕙兰心。

灼灼桃兼李。

无妨国士寻。

苍苍松与桂。

仍羡世人钦。

月色苔阶净。

歌声竹院深。

门前红叶地。

不扫待知音。

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 coming 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 comes to visit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

29

鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

期友人阻雨不至

For a Friend Who Didn’t Arrive Because of Heavy Rain

雁鱼空有信。

鸡黍恨无期。

闭户方笼\月。

褰帘已散丝。

近泉鸣砌畔。

远浪涨江渚。

乡思悲秋客。

愁吟五字诗。

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 coming 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

鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

访赵链师不遇

Visiting Master Zhao and Not Finding Him

何处同仙侣。

青衣独在家。

暖炉留煮药。

邻院为煎茶。

画壁灯光暗。

幡竿日影斜。

殷勤重回首。

墙外数枝花。

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 come back—

just a few blooming branches

brushing the outside walls.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

31

鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

遣怀

Curing Yourself When Lovesick闲散身无事。

风光独自游。

断云江上月。

解缆海中舟。

琴弄萧梁寺。

诗吟庾亮楼。

丛篁堪作伴。

片石好为儔。

燕雀徒为贵。

金银志不求。

满杯春酒绿。

对月夜窗幽。

绕砌澄清沼。

抽簪映细流。

臥床书册遍。

半醉起梳头。

You’re free and at leisure now

no company 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 companions

make friends with rocks

in steep outcroppings

and let your whole wealth be

ordinary swallows and sparrows

forget about gold and silver

forget about ambition

spring will fill your cup

with good green wine

moon will come 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

鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

寄飞卿

Sent to Feiqing

阶砌乱蛩鸣。

庭柯烟露清。

月中邻乐响。

楼上远山明。

珍簟凉风著。

瑶琴寄恨生。

嵇君懒书札。

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

coming from my neighbor’s

if I went upstairs I could see the mountains

distinct even in the distance

a cool breeze comes 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

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

过鄂州

Visiting Ezhou

柳拂兰挠花满枝。

石城城下暮帆迟。

折牌29峰上三閭墓。

远火山头五马旗。

白雪调高题旧寺。

阳春歌在换新词。

莫愁魂逐清江去。

空使行人万首诗。

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 compose

ten thousand poems in vain.

[29]碑 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

34

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

夏日山居

Living in the Mountains in Summer

移得仙居此地来。

花丛自偏不曾栽。

庭前亚树张衣桁。

坐上新泉泛酒杯。

轩槛暗传深竹径。

綺罗长拥乱书堆。

闲乘画舫吟明月。

信任轻风吹却回。

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

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

暮春即事

Late Spring Improvisation深巷穷门少侣儔。

阮郎唯有梦中留。

香飘罗綺谁家席。

风送歌声何处楼。

街近鼓鼙喧晓睡。

庭闲鹊语乱春愁。

安能追逐人间事。

万里身同不系舟。

Very few visitors or lovers

come 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—

coming 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

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

代人悼亡

Joining Somebody’s Mourning

曾睹夭桃想玉姿。

带风杨柳认蛾眉。

珠归龙窟知谁见。

镜在鸞台话向谁。

从此梦悲烟雨夜。

不堪吟苦寂寥时。

西山日落东山月。

恨想无因有了期。

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

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

和人

Letter to a Friend茫茫九陌无知己。

暮去朝来典绣衣。

宝匣镜昏蝉鬢乱。

博山炉暖30麝烟微。

多情公子春留句。

少思文君画掩扉。

莫惜羊车频列载。

柳丝31梅绽正芳菲。

Both busy streets and country roads

are empty without good friends

evenings go, mornings come,

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

鱼玄机

六言诗 Six-character

隔汉江寄子安

Sent to Zian, Long Distance, from the Hanjiang River江南江北愁望。

相思相忆空吟。

鸳鸯暖臥沙浦。

鸂鶒闲飞橘林。

烟裏歌声隱隱。

渡头月色沈沈。

含情咫尺千里。

况听家家还砧。

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 compounds.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------39

鱼玄机

五言诗 Five-character poem

寓言

An Allegory红桃处处春色。

碧柳家家月明。

楼上新妆待夜。

闺中独坐含情。

芙蓉月32下戏鱼。

螮蝀天边雀33声。

人世悲欢一梦。

如何得作双成。

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 come to us

in pairs?

[32]叶 [33]鹤 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

江陵愁望寄子安

Letter to Zian, Sad from Gazing into the Distance, from Jiangling

枫叶千枝復万枝。

江桥掩映暮帆迟。

忆君心似西江水。

日夜东流无歇时。

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

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

寄子安

Sent to Zian醉別千卮不浣愁。

离肠百结解无由。

蕙兰销歇归春圃。

杨柳东西绊客舟。

聚散已悲34云不定。

恩情须学水长流。

有花时节知难遇。

未宜厌厌醉玉楼。

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

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

送別

Saying Goodbye

秦楼35几夜愜心期。

不料仙郎有別离。

睡觉莫言36云去处。

残灯一盏野蛾飞。

Several nights in this gorgeous 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]层城 [36]不嫌

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------43

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

迎李近仁员外

A Warm Note to Squire Li Jinren

今日喜时闻喜鹊。

昨宵灯下拜灯花。

焚香出户迎潘岳。

不羡牵牛织女家。

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

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

送別

Saying Goodbye, II水柔37逐器知难定。

云出无心宜再归。

惆悵春风楚江暮。

鸳鸯一只失群飞。

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

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

左名场自泽州至京使人传语

Letter to an Exam Candidate, from Shanxi to the Capital

闲居作赋几年愁。

王屋山前是旧游。

诗咏东西千嶂乱。

马隨南北一泉流。

曾陪雨夜同欢席。

別后花时独上楼。

忽喜扣门传语至。

为怜邻巷小房幽。

相如琴罢朱弦断。

双燕巢分白露秋。

莫倦38蓬门时一访。

每春忙在曲江头。

I’ve stayed at home here, idle,

mostly composing 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 forget 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]厌

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

46

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

和人次韵

Reply to a Poem, Matching the Form喧喧朱紫杂人寰。

独自清吟日39色间。

何事玉郎搜藻思。

忽將琼韵扣柴关。

白花发咏惭称谢。

僻巷深居谬学顏。

不用多情欲相见。

松萝高处是前山。

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,

becoming a sage like Yan Yuan

so full of affection there’s no need

to long for company all the time

just as pines and other such plants are content

simply to live among mountains.[39]月 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

47

鱼玄机

七言诗 Seven-character poem

光威裒姊妹三人少孤而始妍乃有是作精粹难儔

虽谢家联雪何以加(如)之有客自京师来者示予因次其韵

Three Beautiful Sisters, Orphaned Young

昔闻南国容华少。

今日东邻姊妹三。

妆阁相看鸚鵡赋。

碧窗应绣凤凰衫。

红芳满院参差折。

绿醑盈杯次第衔。

恐向瑶池曾作女。

謫来尘世未为男。

文姬有貌终堪比。

西子无言我更惭。

一曲艳歌琴杳杳。

四弦轻拨语喃喃。

当台竞斗青丝发。

对月爭夸白玉簪。

小有洞中松露滴。

大罗天上柳烟含。

但能为雨心长在。

不怕吹簫事未諳。

阿母几嗔花下语。

潘郎曾向梦中参。

暂持清句魂犹断。

若睹红顏死亦甘。

悵望佳人何处在。

行云归北又归南。

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 compared

to a gorgeous 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 gorgeous young creatures

who knows what they’ll come to?

the clouds float north

the clouds float south.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

48

鱼玄机

鱼玄机七言诗 Seven-character poem

折杨柳

Snapping Willows

朝朝送別泣花鈿。

折尽春风杨柳烟。

愿得西山无树木。

免教人作泪悬悬。

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

鱼玄机

五言,七言诗 Five-character ,Seven-character poem

句

Fragments

焚香登玉坛。

端简礼金闕。

Burning incense

climbs the jade altar

I hold an invitation

to a golden palace ceremony.明月照幽隙。

清风开短襟。

40Brilliant moonlight

shining in a hidden clearing

crisp wind blows open

the front of a short gown.

綺陌春望远。

瑶徽春兴多。

Gorgeous fields along the road

a deep springtime vista

beautiful emblem of the season

source of my playful mood.

殷勤不得语。

红泪一双流。

Pleading,

unable to speak

red tears, first one, then

a pair, traveling down.

云情自郁爭同梦。

仙貌长芳又胜花。

41

The high cloud loves itself

so why these gloomy common dreams?

the heavenly look lasts . . .

again that fragrance, better than flowers.