Saturday, October 28, 2017

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
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