Songs of Crooked River

I pray you will indulge me in this new aspect of The Wild East. I will from time to time share with you all some of the Chinese poems I study, and since most of you cannot read modern Chinese, much less Classical Chinese, I have included my own translations. These poems are all from the province in which I study, Zhejiang, whose name means "Crooked River."

白居易《钱塘湖春行》

孤山寺北贾亭西，水面初平云脚低。
几处早莺争暖树，谁家新燕啄春泥？
乱花渐欲迷人眼，浅草才能没马蹄。
最爱湖东行不足，绿杨荫里白沙堤。

Bai Juyi "Spring-Walking at Qiantang Lake"

North—Lonely Hill, and west—Jia Pavilion.
Water's face is flat under clouds' feet,

and here, there, early orioles argue over warm trees;
at a stranger's house, new swallows peck spring mud.

Wildflowers one by one lure men’s eyes,
and shallow grass just drowns horse hooves.

East—the lakeside I love most and walk not enough:
green poplars' shadows and White Sand Levee.


崔护 《题都城南庄》

去年今日此门中，人面桃花相映红。
人面不知何处去，桃花依旧笑春风。

Cui Hu "Village South of the Capital"

A year gone today and in this here door:
her face and peach tree flower—rosy both.

I do not know where that face has gone,
but same as old, flowers smile in spring wind.