A Conscript’s Complaint Alternatively titled, “A Soldier’s Lament,” by Andrew Wong, and “A Trooper’s Burden” by Witter Bynner. A cook or chef might prefer “A Soldier’s Beef”. Soldiers complain all day long, there is nothing new in that — the work is hard, the food is bad, there is no relief, good grief. 征人怨 Zhēngrén yuàn A conscript’s complaint 岁岁金河复玉关 Suì suì Jīnhé fù Yùguān, Every year, returning to Gold River and Jade Pass 朝朝马策与刀环 zhāo zhāo mǎ cè yǔ dāo huán. Every day, we spur our horses on with whip and sword 三春白雪归青冢 Sānchūn báixuě guī qīng zhǒng, In late spring, white snow still covers ..read more

Zèng Huā Qīng From a miscellaneous collection of poems by the Chinese poet Du Fu. The title, Zèng Huā Qīng, is a play on words (and disguised criticism). Zeng literally means “a gift” and Hua means “flowers,” and Qing means “minister.” Qing’s character 卿 resembles two people sitting opposite each other dining with wine and food. Hua Qing (General Xiao Hua) was the ruling minister of Chengdu where Du Fu was then living. 杂曲歌辞 Zá qū gē cí Miscellaneous Songs and Poems 赠花卿 Zèng Huā Qīng For Hua Qing (Minister Hua) … 锦城丝管日纷纷, Jǐnchéng sī guǎn rì fēnfēn, In Chengdu, lutes and flutes play each day ..read more

Jīnlíng tú “A Picture of Nanjing (Jinling)” by the late Tang poet, Wei Zhuang. Wei Zhuang prepares us for the end of the Tang Dynasty, painting a picture of the ancient capital of Nanjing (Jingling) and its time as the bygone capital of Six Dynasties. Six Dynasties preceded the establishment of the Tang Dynasty. The Sui Dynasty, the last of the six, conquered Nanjing, razed the city and the “Taicheng” fortress that Wei Zhuang alludes to. 金陵圖 Jīnlíng tú A Picture of Nanjing . 江雨霏霏江草齐 Jiāng yǔ fēifēi jiāngcǎo qí, By the river in the rain, where fragrant grass grows in peace, . 六朝如梦鸟空啼 Liùcháo r ..read more

A Poem to Yuan Danqui Like Mona Lisa, whose face was made immortal by Leonardo da Vinci, Yuan Danqui, even though little is known about him, achieves immortality in the verse of the Chinese poet Li Bai (李白, 701–762) 元 丹 丘 歌 Yuán Dānqiū Gē A Poem to Yuan Danqui 元 丹 丘，爱 神 仙。 Yuán Dānqiū, ài shénxiān, Yuan Danqiu lives like the immortals, 朝 饮 颍 川 之 清 落 Cháo yǐn yǐng chuān zhī qīng luò In the morning drinks clear water from a stream, 暮 还 嵩 岑 之 紫 烟 Mù hái sōng cén zhī zǐ yān In the evening returns to purple haze of Mt. Song, 三 十 六 峰 常 周 旋 Sānshíliù fēng cháng zhōuxuán There thirty six peaks g ..read more

Spring has Sprung Thoughts of Spring, or (‘as you like it’) Spring Thought, a poem from China’s 8th century by the poet Li Bai. The sentiment, one shared by Alfred Lord Tennyson, “In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” (if one prefers William Shakespeare, “When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding. Sweet lovers love the spring.”) 春思 Chūn sī Spring Thought … 燕草如碧丝 Yàn cǎo rú bì sī In Yan, the grass grows like blue strands of silk, . 秦桑低绿枝 Qín sāng dī lǜ zhī In Qin mulberry branches hang low and green. . 当君怀归日 Dāng jūn huái guī rì One day I’ll embrace my Love when ..read more

Last night I dreamt of you A dream and a sentimental poem of two lovers who are now separated. Sent to Someone, who, for posterity, will remain unknown, by the Chinese poet of the late Tang dynasty, Zhang Bi (張泌, born 930). This one poem is included in the Anthology of 300 Tang Poems. 寄人 Jì rén Sent to Someone 別夢依依到謝家， Bié mèng yīyī dào xiè jiā In my dream I am still there in the House of Xie (Jia) 小廊回合曲闌斜。 Xiǎo láng huíhé qǔ lán xié. Deep within its winding hallways and crooked doors, 多情只有春庭月， Duōqíng zhǐyǒu chūn tíng yuè, Lovingly only if in the courtyard the moon is in the sky 猶為離人照落花 Y ..read more

Hanshi Set your thermostat, it is going to be cold. Hanshi, the Cold Food Festival is celebrated this year on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. It is then followed by the Tomb Sweeping Festival (Qingming). A poem by an unknown author titled Miscellaneous, about a Day of No Fire. After observing a day of no fire, the Chinese gather around the tombs of their ancestors and clear the grass. 雜詩 Záshī Miscellaneous Poems 盡寒食雨草萋萋， Jǐn hánshí yǔ cǎo qī qī, At the end of Hanshi, when the grass is thick, 著麥苗風柳映堤。 zhe màimiáo fēng liǔ yìng dī. As the wheat sprouts, as the willows blow, as the sun shines on the ..read more

Goodbye yesterday, goodbye friends, because yesterday is gone. Hello memories of days gone by. Hellos Spring. At Chang’an Meeting Feng Zhe You came, my guest from the East, Whose clothes were covered in rain from Baling. “Why have you come?” I ask, To gather firewood in the mountains one needs an axe,” you say. And everywhere flowers are blooming, While fledgling swallows drink their milk. Goodbye yesterday, hello Spring… How the hair on our head has grown thin! Wei Yingwu, Chinese poet, Tang dynasty Meeting Feng Zhe at Chang’an, by the Tang dynasty poet Wei Yingwu. As a young boy of fifteen ..read more

No Cinderella No Cinderella here, she did not receive an invitation to the ball. Worse was to come for the author of the poem, Yu Xuanji. 寄国香 Jì guó xiāng, Send this to the Sweet Smelling Outdoors (To Guo Xiang) 旦夕醉吟身 Dànxì zuì yín shēn, Dawn to dusk, she sighs, she drinks too much, 相思又此春 xiāngsī yòu cǐ chūn. Once again lovesick this Spring 雨中寄书使 Yǔzhōng jì shū shǐ, As a messenger carries a letter in the rain, 窗下断肠人 chuāng xià duàncháng rén. To a love-struck girl in her window above. 山卷珠帘看 Shān juǎn zhū lián kàn, As she raises her curtain to gaze at the mountains, 愁随芳草新 chóu suí fāng c ..read more

Bai Juyi, 772-846 “Ask Liu Shuji,” a poem by the Chinese poet Bai Juyi to his friend Liu Shijiu. Asking the question: one cup, as if one is enough. 問劉十九 Wèn Liú Shíjiǔ Asking Liu Shijiu 綠蟻新醅酒 Lǜyǐ xīn pēi jiǔ, Green ants, new wine, 紅泥小火爐 hóng ní xiǎo huǒlú. A red clay stove, a small fire. 晚來天欲雪 Wǎn lái tiān yù xuě, Night is coming, its snowing, 能飲一杯無 néng yǐn yībēi wú (Friend), how about one drink? Bai Juyi Green Ants Lǜ yǐ xīn pēi jiǔ, Green ants (luyi) might be an unfamiliar term to those who have never seen or tasted new wine. On rice wine there is a bubbly green foam that looks like yo ..read more