In the House of the 8-1/2th Moon (2 poems by Li He)

The Tang poet Li He wrote a series of twelve poems, one for each full moon of the year.  Last night there was a half moon, which marks our progress between the 8th and 9th moons of the year, at least according to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar.  So here are my translations of the two poems from Li He's series to help anchor us better in the present moment.

The Eighth Moon

The widow weeps

Long into the night

A lonely traveler

Dreams of returning home

Under the eaves

A spider spins its thread

From the hanging basket

Flowers cascade down

Just beyond the eaves

Moonlight splatters the ground

The trees cast their slanting shadows

Upon the window screen

The dew saturates the air

And settles everywhere

Decorating the pond with heavy

Drops atop the lotus leaves

八月

李贺

孀妾怨长夜     独客梦归家

傍檐虫缉丝     向壁灯垂花

檐外月光吐     帘中树影斜

悠悠飞露姿     点缀池中荷

The Ninth Moon

The summer pavilion is empty now

But for a few stray fireflies

The sky has a watery hue

The bamboo yellows

And the lotus withers

In the pond’s chill depth

The moonlight will embroider everything

As it falls like a blessing

On the chill park and courtyard below

So tranquil, empty and pure

The frost dispersed by the wind

Shines like a lattice haphazardly

Strewn across the grass

Nature’s most elaborate and colorful

Brocade lies in thick layers underfoot

Not even a rooster will cry

To greet the dawn

Only stone pendants tinkling

And then the crows

Will caw loudly

As the golden leaves

From the Paulownia tree

Keep falling to the ground

九月

李贺

离宫散萤天似水     竹黄池冷芙蓉死

月缀金铺光脉脉     凉苑虚庭空澹白

霜花飞飞风草草     翠锦斓斑满层道

鸡人罢唱晓珑璁     鸦啼金井下疏桐

-