The Patterned Lute Mere chance that the patterned lute has fifty strings. String and fret, one by one, recall the blossoming years. Chuang-tzu dreams at sunrise that a butterfly lost its way, Wang-ti bequeathed his spring passion to the nightjar. The moon is full on the vast sea, a tear on the pearl. On Blue Mountain the sun warms, a smoke issues from the jade. Did it wait, this mood, to mature with hindsight? In a trance from the begining, then as now.

锦 瑟 锦瑟无端五十弦 一弦一柱思华年 庄生晓梦迷蝴蝶 望帝春心托杜鹃 沧海月明珠有泪 蓝田日暖玉生烟 此情可待成追忆 只是当时已惘然

The Lo-yu Tombs With twilight shadows in my heart I have driven up among the Lo-yu Tombs To see the sun, for all his glory, Buried by the coming night.

登乐游原 向晚意不适 驱车登古原 夕阳无限好 只是近黄昏

A Cicada Pure of heart and therefore hungry, All night long you have sung in vain -- Oh, this final broken indrawn breath Among the green indifferent trees! Yes, I have gone like a piece of driftwood, I have let my garden fill with weeds.... I bless you for your true advice To live as pure a life as yours.

蝉 本以高难饱 徒劳恨费声 五更疏欲断 一树碧无情 薄宦梗犹泛 故园芜已平 烦君最相警 我亦举家清

Wind and Rain I ponder on the poem of The Precious Dagger. My road has wound through many years. ... Now yellow leaves are shaken with a gale; Yet piping and fiddling keep the Blue House merry. On the surface, I seem to be glad of new people; But doomed to leave old friends behind me, I cry out from my heart for Shin-feng wine To melt away my thousand woes.

风 雨 凄凉宝剑篇 羁泊欲穷年 黄叶仍风雨 青楼自管弦 新知遭薄俗 旧好隔良缘 心断新丰酒 销愁斗几千

Falling Petals Gone is the guest from the Chamber of Rank, And petals, confused in my little garden, Zigzagging down my crooked path, Escort like dancers the setting sun. Oh, how can I bear to sweep them away? To a sad-syed watcher they never return. Heart's fragrance is spent with the ending of spring And nothing left but a tear-stained robe.

落 花 高阁客竟去 小园花乱飞 参差连曲陌 迢递送斜晖 肠断未忍扫 眼穿仍欲归 芳心向春尽 所得是沾衣

Chang O The lamp glows deep in the mica screen. The long river slowly descends, the morning star drowns. Is Chang O sorry that she stole the magic herb, Between the blue sky and the emerald sea, thinking night after night?

嫦 娥 云母屏风烛影深 长河渐落晓星沈 嫦娥应悔偷灵药 碧海青天夜夜心

Night Rains: to my Wife up North You ask how long before I come. Still no date is set. The night rains on Mount Pa swell the autumn pool. When shall we, side by side, trim a candle at the West window, And talk back to the time of the night rains on Mount Pa?

夜 雨 寄 北 君问归期未有期 巴山夜雨涨秋池 何当共剪西窗烛 却话巴山夜雨时

Untitled Poems I Coming was an empty promises, you have gone, and left no footprint: The moonlight slants above the roof, already the fifth watch sounds. Dreams of remote partings, cries which cannot summon, Hurrying to finish the letter, ink which will not thicken. The light of the candle half encloses kingfishers threaded with gold, The smell of musk comes faintly through embroidered water-lilies. Young Liu complained that Fairy Hill is far. Past Fairy Hill, range above range, ten thousand mountains rise.

无 题 来是空言去绝踪 月斜楼上五更钟 梦为远别啼难唤 书被催成墨未浓 蜡照半笼金翡翠 麝熏微度绣芙蓉 刘郎已恨蓬山远 更隔蓬山一万重

Untitled Poems II The east wind sighs, the fine rains come: Beyond the pool of water-lilies, the noise of faint thunder. A gold toad gnaws the lock. Open it, burn the incense. A tiger of jade pulls the rope. Draw from the well and escape. Chia's daughter peeped through the screen when Han the clerk was young, The goddess of River left her pillow for the great Prince of Wei. Never let your heart open with the spring flowers: One inch of loves is an inch of ashes.

无 题 飒飒东风细雨来 芙蓉塘外有轻雷 金蟾啮锁烧香入 玉虎牵丝汲井回 贾氏窥帘韩掾少 宓妃留枕魏王才 春心莫共花争发 一寸想思一寸灰

Untitled Poems III Last night's stars, last night's winds, By the West wall of the painted house, East of the hall of cassia. For bodies no fluttering side by side of splendid phoenix wings, For hearts the one minute thread from root to tip of the magic horn. At separate tables, played hook-in-the-palm. The wine of spring warmed. Teamed as rivals, guessed what the cup hid. The candle flame reddened. Alas, I hear the drum, must go where office summons, Ride my horse to the Orchid Terrace, the wind-uprooted weed my likeness.

无 题 昨夜星辰昨夜风 画楼西畔桂堂东 身无彩凤双飞翼 心有灵犀一点通 隔座送钩春酒暖 分曹射覆蜡灯红 嗟余听鼓应官去 走马兰台类转蓬

Untitled Poems IV For ever hard to meet, and as hard to part. Each flower spoiled in the failing East wind. Spring's silkworms wind till death their heart's threads: The wick of the candle turns to ash before its tears dry. Morning mirror's only care, a change at her cloudy temples: Saying over a poem in the night, does she sense the chill in the moonbeam? Not far, from here to Fairy Hill. Bluebird, be quick now, spy me out the road.

无 题 相见时难别亦难 东风无力百花残 春蚕到死丝方尽 蜡炬成灰泪始乾 晓镜但愁云鬓改 夜吟应觉月光寒 蓬莱此去无多路 青鸟殷勤为探看

Untitled Poems V Double curtains hang deep in the room of Never Grieve: She lies down, and moment by moment the cool evening lengthens. The lifetime he shared with the goddess was always a dream: No young man ever in the little maid's house. The wind and waves know no pity for the frail pond-chestnut's branches, In the moon and the dew who can sweeten the scentless cassia leaves? We tell ourselves all love is foolishness -- And still disappointment is a lucid madness.

无 题 重帷深下莫愁堂 卧後清宵细细长 神女生涯原是梦 小姑居处本无郎 风波不信菱枝弱 月露谁教桂叶香 直道相思了无益 未妨惆怅是清狂