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诗 (历代诸家) 唐宋明清詩(唐)十四

作者:《诗 (历代诸家)》

  • 魚玄機小傳
    字幼微一字蕙蘭。長安里家女。喜讀書。有才思。補闕李憶納為妾。愛衰。遂從冠帔於咸宜觀。後以笞殺女童綠翹事。為京兆溫璋所戳。--------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    賦得江邊柳 (臨江樹)
    Poem for the Willows by the River

    翠1色連2荒岸。
    煙姿入遠樓。
    影3鋪秋水面。
    花落釣人4頭。
    根老藏魚5窟。
    枝低繫6客舟。
    蕭蕭風雨夜。
    驚夢復添愁。

    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]葉 [4]磯 [5]龍 [6]拂

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    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    贈鄰女 (寄李億員外)
    Sent to a Neighbor Woman Friend

    羞日遮7羅袖。
    愁春懶起妝。
    易求無價寶。
    難得有心郎。
    枕上潛垂淚。
    花間暗斷腸。
    自能窺宋玉。
    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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    3
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    寄國香
    The Fragrance of Orchids旦夕醉吟身。
    相思又此春8。
    雨中寄書使。
    窗下斷腸人。
    山捲珠簾看。
    愁隨芳草新。
    別來清宴上。
    幾度落梁塵。

    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]何處申

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    4
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    寄題鍊師 (第三句缺一字。第四句缺一字 )
    Tribute to a Master Alchemist

    霞彩翦為衣。
    添香出繡幃。
    芙蓉花葉【】。
    山水帔【】稀。
    駐履聞鶯語。
    開籠\放鶴飛。
    高堂春睡覺。
    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
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem poem
    寄劉尚書
    Sent to Secretary Liu八座鎮雄軍。
    歌謠滿路新。
    汾川三月雨。
    晉水百花春。
    囹圄長空鎖。
    干戈久覆塵。
    儒僧觀子夜。
    羈客醉紅茵。
    筆硯行隨手。
    詩書坐繞身。
    小材9多顧盼。
    得作食魚人。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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    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    浣紗廟
    Washing Yarn Temple

    吳越相謀\計策多。
    浣紗神女已相和。
    一雙笑靨纔回面。
    十萬精兵盡倒戈。
    范蠡功成身隱遯。
    伍胥諫死國消磨。
    只今諸暨長江畔。
    空有青山號苧蘿。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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    7
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    賣殘牡丹
    Selling the Last Peonies

    臨風興歎落花頻。
    芳意潛消又一春。
    應為價高人不問。
    卻緣香甚蝶難親。
    紅英只稱生宮裏。
    翠葉那堪染路塵。
    及至移根上林苑。
    王孫方恨買無因。

    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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    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    酬李學士寄簟
    To Thank the Scholar Li for the Gift of a Bamboo Mat

    珍簟新鋪翡翠樓。
    泓澄玉水記方流。
    唯應雲扇10情相似。
    同向銀床恨早秋。

    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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    9
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    情書(書情)寄李子安(一本題下有補闕二字)
    Love Letter to Li Zian

    飲冰食檗志無功。
    晉水壺關在夢中。
    秦鏡欲分愁墮11鵲。
    舜琴將弄怨飛鴻。
    井邊桐葉鳴秋雨。
    窗下銀燈暗曉風。
    書信茫茫何處問。
    持竿盡日碧江空。

    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]墜

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    10
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character
    閨怨
    Boudoir Bitterness

    蘼蕪盈手泣斜暉。
    聞道鄰家夫婿歸。
    別日南鴻纔北去。
    今朝北雁又南飛。
    春來秋去相思在。
    秋去春來信息稀12。
    扃閉朱門人不到。
    砧聲何事透羅幃。

    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]違

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    11
    魚玄機
    七言詩 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。
    冰銷遠澗憐清韻。
    雪遠寒峰想玉姿。
    莫聽凡歌春病酒。
    休招閒客夜貪棋。
    如松匪石盟長在。
    比翼連襟會肯遲。
    雖恨獨行冬盡日。
    終期相見月圓時。
    別君何物堪持贈。
    淚落晴光一首詩。

    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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    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    打毬作
    Watching Them Play Polo

    堅圓淨滑一星流。
    月杖爭敲未擬休。
    無滯礙時從撥弄。
    有遮欄處任鉤留。
    不辭宛轉長隨手。
    卻恐相將不到頭。
    畢竟入門應始了。
    願君爭取最前籌。

    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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    13
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    暮春有感寄友人
    Sent to a Friend in a Late Spring Mood

    鶯語驚殘夢。
    輕妝改淚容。
    竹陰初月薄。
    江靜晚煙濃。
    溼觜銜泥燕。
    香鬚採蕊蜂。
    獨憐無限思。
    吟罷亞枝松。

    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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    14
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    冬夜寄溫飛卿
    Sent to Wen Feiqing on a Winter Night

    苦思14搜詩15燈下吟。
    不眠長夜怕寒衾。
    滿庭木葉愁風起。
    透幌紗窗惜月沈。
    疏散未閑終遂願。
    盛衰空見本來心。
    幽棲莫定梧桐處。
    暮雀啾啾空繞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]憶 [15]思 [16]繞竹 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------15
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    酬李郢夏日釣魚回見示
    A Poem Sent to Li Ying to Match His "Fishing in Summer"

    住處雖同巷。
    經年不一過。
    清詞勸17舊女。
    香桂折新柯。
    道性欺冰雪。
    禪心笑綺羅。
    跡登霄漢上。
    無路接煙波。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]歡

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    16
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    次韻西鄰新居兼乞酒
    Matching Poem for My New Neighbor to the West, Inviting Him over for Wine一首詩來百度吟。
    新情18字字又聲金。
    西看已有登垣意。
    遠望能無化石心。
    河漢期賒空極目。
    瀟湘夢斷罷調琴。
    況逢寒節添鄉思。
    寂夜佳醪莫獨斟。

    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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    17
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    和友人次韻
    A Matching Poem, Reply to a Friend

    何事能銷旅館愁。
    紅牋開處見銀鉤。
    蓬山雨灑千峰小。
    嶰谷風吹萬葉秋。
    字字朝看輕碧玉。
    篇篇夜誦在衾裯。
    欲將香匣收藏卻。
    且惜時吟在手頭。

    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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    18
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    和新及第悼亡詩二首
    Two Poems﹕ For the Successful Candidates of the Civil Service Examand Grief for a Death

    仙籍人間不久留。
    片時已過十經秋。
    鴛鴦帳下香猶暖。
    鸚鵡籠\中語未休。
    朝露綴花如臉恨。
    晚風敧柳似眉愁。
    彩雲一去無消息。
    潘岳多情欲白頭。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.一枝月桂和煙秀。
    萬樹江桃帶雨紅。
    且醉尊前休悵望。
    古來悲樂與今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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    19
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    遊崇真觀南樓睹新及第題名處
    Visiting the South Pavilion at Chongzhen Temple Where the Civil Service Exam Results Are Posted

    雲峰滿目放春晴。
    歷歷銀鉤指下生。
    自恨羅衣掩詩句。
    舉頭空羨榜中名。

    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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    20
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    愁(秋)思
    Melancholy Thoughts

    落葉紛紛暮雨和。
    朱20絲撫自清歌。
    放情休恨無心友。
    養性空拋苦海波。
    長者車音門外有。
    道家書卷枕前多。
    布衣終作雲霄客。
    綠水青山時一過。

    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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    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    秋怨
    Autumn Lament

    自歎多情是足愁。
    況當風月滿庭秋。
    洞房偏與更聲近。
    夜夜燈前欲白頭。

    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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    22
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    江行
    River Journey

    大江橫抱武昌斜。
    鸚鵡洲前戶萬21家。
    畫舸春眠朝未足22。
    夢為蝴蝶也尋花。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

    煙花已入鸕鶿\港。
    畫舸猶沿23鸚鵡洲。
    醉臥醒吟都不覺。
    今朝驚在漢江頭。

    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]萬戶 [22]猶未穩 [23]題

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    23
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    聞李端公垂釣回寄贈
    Hearing Squire Li Had Gone Fishing, I Sent Him This Poem無限荷香染暑衣。
    阮郎何處弄船歸。
    自慚不及鴛鴦侶。
    猶得雙雙近2425釣磯。

    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]繞 [25]傍

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    24
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    題任處士創資福寺
    The Zifu Temple, Founded by the Hermit Ren

    幽人創奇境。
    遊客駐26行程。
    粉壁空留字。
    蓮宮未有名。
    鑿池泉自出。
    開徑草重生。
    百尺金輪閣。
    當川豁眼明。

    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

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

    25
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    題隱霧亭
    The Yiinwu Pavilion

    春花秋月入詩篇。
    白日清宵是散仙。
    空捲珠簾不曾下。
    長移一榻對山眠。

    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.


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

    26
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    重陽阻雨
    The Double Ninth Festival Delayed by Rain

    滿庭黃菊籬邊拆27。
    兩朵芙蓉鏡裏開。
    落帽臺前風雨阻。
    不知何處醉金杯。

    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

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

    27
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    早秋
    Early Autumn嫩菊含新彩。
    遠山閒28夕煙。
    涼風驚綠樹。
    清韻入朱弦。
    思婦機中錦\。
    征人塞外夫。
    雁飛魚在水。
    書信若為傳。

    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]閉

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

    28
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    感懷寄人
    Remembering Strong Emotions

    恨寄朱弦上。
    含情意不任。
    早知雲雨會。
    未起蕙蘭心。
    灼灼桃兼李。
    無妨國士尋。
    蒼蒼松與桂。
    仍羨世人欽。
    月色苔階淨。
    歌聲竹院深。
    門前紅葉地。
    不掃待知音。

    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
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    期友人阻雨不至
    For a Friend Who Didn’t Arrive Because of Heavy Rain

    雁魚空有信。
    雞黍恨無期。
    閉戶方籠\月。
    褰簾已散絲。
    近泉鳴砌畔。
    遠浪漲江渚。
    鄉思悲秋客。
    愁吟五字詩。

    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
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    訪趙鍊師不遇
    Visiting Master Zhao and Not Finding Him

    何處同仙侶。
    青衣獨在家。
    暖爐留煮藥。
    鄰院為煎茶。
    畫壁燈光暗。
    幡竿日影斜。
    殷勤重回首。
    牆外數枝花。

    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
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    遣懷
    Curing Yourself When Lovesick閑散身無事。
    風光獨自遊。
    斷雲江上月。
    解纜海中舟。
    琴弄蕭梁寺。
    詩吟庾亮樓。
    叢篁堪作伴。
    片石好為儔。
    燕雀徒為貴。
    金銀志不求。
    滿杯春酒綠。
    對月夜窗幽。
    繞砌澄清沼。
    抽簪映細流。
    臥床書冊遍。
    半醉起梳頭。

    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
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    寄飛卿
    Sent to Feiqing

    階砌亂蛩鳴。
    庭柯煙露清。
    月中鄰樂響。
    樓上遠山明。
    珍簟涼風著。
    瑤琴寄恨生。
    嵇君懶書札。
    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    過鄂州
    Visiting Ezhou

    柳拂蘭撓花滿枝。
    石城城下暮帆遲。
    折牌29峰上三閭墓。
    遠火山頭五馬旗。
    白雪調高題舊寺。
    陽春歌在換新詞。
    莫愁魂逐清江去。
    空使行人萬首詩。

    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    夏日山居
    Living in the Mountains in Summer

    移得仙居此地來。
    花叢自偏不曾栽。
    庭前亞樹張衣桁。
    坐上新泉泛酒杯。
    軒檻暗傳深竹徑。
    綺羅長擁亂書堆。
    閒乘畫舫吟明月。
    信任輕風吹卻回。

    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    暮春即事
    Late Spring Improvisation深巷窮門少侶儔。
    阮郎唯有夢中留。
    香飄羅綺誰家席。
    風送歌聲何處樓。
    街近鼓鼙喧曉睡。
    庭閒鵲語亂春愁。
    安能追逐人間事。
    萬里身同不繫舟。

    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    代人悼亡
    Joining Somebody’s Mourning

    曾睹夭桃想玉姿。
    帶風楊柳認蛾眉。
    珠歸龍窟知誰見。
    鏡在鸞臺話向誰。
    從此夢悲煙雨夜。
    不堪吟苦寂寥時。
    西山日落東山月。
    恨想無因有了期。

    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    和人
    Letter to a Friend茫茫九陌無知己。
    暮去朝來典繡衣。
    寶匣鏡昏蟬鬢亂。
    博山爐暖30麝煙微。
    多情公子春留句。
    少思文君畫掩扉。
    莫惜羊車頻列載。
    柳絲31梅綻正芳菲。

    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
    魚玄機
    六言詩 Six-character
    隔漢江寄子安
    Sent to Zian, Long Distance, from the Hanjiang River江南江北愁望。
    相思相憶空吟。
    鴛鴦暖臥沙浦。
    鸂鶒閒飛橘林。
    煙裏歌聲隱隱。
    渡頭月色沈沈。
    含情咫尺千里。
    況聽家家還砧。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
    魚玄機
    五言詩 Five-character poem
    寓言
    An Allegory紅桃處處春色。
    碧柳家家月明。
    樓上新妝待夜。
    閨中獨坐含情。
    芙蓉月32下戲魚。
    螮蝀天邊雀33聲。
    人世悲歡一夢。
    如何得作雙成。

    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]葉 [33]鶴 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    40
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    江陵愁望寄子安
    Letter to Zian, Sad from Gazing into the Distance, from Jiangling

    楓葉千枝復萬枝。
    江橋掩映暮帆遲。
    憶君心似西江水。
    日夜東流無歇時。

    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    寄子安
    Sent to Zian醉別千卮不浣愁。
    離腸百結解無由。
    蕙蘭銷歇歸春圃。
    楊柳東西絆客舟。
    聚散已悲34雲不定。
    恩情須學水長流。
    有花時節知難遇。
    未宜厭厭醉玉樓。

    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    送別
    Saying Goodbye

    秦樓35幾夜愜心期。
    不料仙郎有別離。
    睡覺莫言36雲去處。
    殘燈一盞野蛾飛。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]層城 [36]不嫌

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------43
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    迎李近仁員外
    A Warm Note to Squire Li Jinren

    今日喜時聞喜鵲。
    昨宵燈下拜燈花。
    焚香出戶迎潘岳。
    不羨牽牛織女家。

    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    送別
    Saying Goodbye, II水柔37逐器知難定。
    雲出無心宜再歸。
    惆悵春風楚江暮。
    鴛鴦一隻失群飛。

    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    左名場自澤州至京使人傳語
    Letter to an Exam Candidate, from Shanxi to the Capital

    閑居作賦幾年愁。
    王屋山前是舊遊。
    詩詠東西千嶂亂。
    馬隨南北一泉流。
    曾陪雨夜同歡席。
    別後花時獨上樓。
    忽喜扣門傳語至。
    為憐鄰巷小房幽。
    相如琴罷朱弦斷。
    雙燕巢分白露秋。
    莫倦38蓬門時一訪。
    每春忙在曲江頭。

    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]厭

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

    46
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    和人次韻
    Reply to a Poem, Matching the Form喧喧朱紫雜人寰。
    獨自清吟日39色間。
    何事玉郎搜藻思。
    忽將瓊韻扣柴關。
    白花發詠慚稱謝。
    僻巷深居謬學顏。
    不用多情欲相見。
    松蘿高處是前山。

    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
    魚玄機
    七言詩 Seven-character poem
    光威裒姊妹三人少孤而始妍乃有是作精粹難儔
    雖謝家聯雪何以加(如)之有客自京師來者示予因次其韻
    Three Beautiful Sisters, Orphaned Young

    昔聞南國容華少。
    今日東鄰姊妹三。
    妝閣相看鸚鵡賦。
    碧窗應繡鳳凰衫。
    紅芳滿院參差折。
    綠醑盈杯次第銜。
    恐向瑤池曾作女。
    謫來塵世未為男。
    文姬有貌終堪比。
    西子無言我更慚。
    一曲豔歌琴杳杳。
    四弦輕撥語喃喃。
    當臺競鬥青絲髮。
    對月爭誇白玉簪。
    小有洞中松露滴。
    大羅天上柳煙含。
    但能為雨心長在。
    不怕吹簫事未諳。
    阿母幾嗔花下語。
    潘郎曾向夢中參。
    暫持清句魂猶斷。
    若睹紅顏死亦甘。
    悵望佳人何處在。
    行雲歸北又歸南。

    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.

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    48
    魚玄機
    魚玄機七言詩 Seven-character poem
    折楊柳
    Snapping Willows

    朝朝送別泣花鈿。
    折盡春風楊柳煙。
    願得西山無樹木。
    免教人作淚懸懸。

    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.

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    49
    魚玄機
    五言,七言詩 Five-character ,Seven-character poem

    Fragments

    焚香登玉壇。
    端簡禮金闕。

    Burning incense
    climbs the jade altar
    I hold an invitation
    to a golden palace ceremony.明月照幽隙。
    清風開短襟。40Brilliant moonlight
    shining in a hidden clearing
    crisp wind blows open
    the front of a short gown.

    綺陌春望遠。
    瑤徽春興多。

    Gorgeous fields along the road
    a deep springtime vista
    beautiful emblem of the season
    source of my playful mood.

    殷勤不得語。
    紅淚一雙流。Pleading,
    unable to speak
    red tears, first one, then
    a pair, traveling down.

    雲情自鬱爭同夢。
    仙貌長芳又勝花。41

    The high cloud loves itself
    so why these gloomy common dreams?
    the heavenly look lasts . . .
    again that fragrance, better than flowers.