春江花月夜    A Spring Moonlit Night by the Flowered River

张若虚                                  By ZHANG Ruoxu

春江潮水连海平，                     The vernal river rushes as the sea level nigh.

海上明月共潮生。                     Out of the deep with the flood tide the Moon shines high.

滟滟随波千万里，                     Far and wide it runs with billows beamingly bright.

何处春江无月明？                     Can there be any flow not rained with moonlight?

江流宛转绕芳甸，                     Winds the river around the field with lush grass green.

月照花林皆似霰；                     Moonlight on the flowers appear like hailstones sheen,  

空里流霜不觉飞，                     And insensibly shines fair like frost in the air.

汀上白沙看不见。                     It’s so white that the sand on the islet isn’t there.

江天一色无纤尘，                     Dustless is the pure whole of water and heaven.

皎皎空中孤月轮。                     Bright and clear fares the lonely Moon as a beacon.

江畔何人初见月？                     Who is the first on the bank to see the moonrise?

江月何年初照人？                     I know not when it started to shine in any wise.

人生代代无穷已，                     Age after age men endlessly come and leave here.    

江月年年只相似。                     The moonlit flow remains alike year after year

不知江月待何人，                     Whom it has been waiting for I not at all know.  

但见长江送流水。                     The only thing I see is that it sends off the flow.

白云一片去悠悠，                     Patch after patch of clouds floats away soft and slow.

青枫浦上不胜愁。                     At the Maple Ferry I feel heavy with sorrow.  

谁家今夜扁舟子？                     Who is the one boating on the river tonight?

何处相思明月楼？                     Who’s the lovesick maid in the bower with moonlight.  

可怜楼上月徘徊，                     The woeful moonlight wavers in her bower dear,  

应照离人妆镜台。                     And flickers on her drear dressing table without cheer.

玉户帘中卷不去，                     Low it stays on the drape that it can’t be rolled out.  

捣衣砧上拂还来。                     Though she washes hard, the washing-stone it hovers about.   

此时相望不相闻，                     The Moon’s here, but her love not this moment and hour.

愿逐月华流照君。                     So she’d follow it to where it gives him a scour.

鸿雁长飞光不度，                     But carrier swans can’t fly out of the moonlight zone.  

鱼龙潜跃水成文。                     Carrier fish can’t leap out of the place of their own.  

昨夜闲潭梦落花，                     Last night I dreamed the idle pond-side flowers grew wan.    

可怜春半不还家。                     Alas! I can’t go back, though half of spring has gone.      

江水流春去欲尽，                     The flood is about to take spring away in a wink.      

江潭落月复西斜。                     Off to the west the moon over the pool will sink.

斜月沉沉藏海雾，                     The sinking Moon sinks in the hidden sea of mist.  

碣石潇湘无限路。                     An endless way between the two Poles does exist.

不知乘月几人归，                     Though I don’t know home by moonlight how many go,

落月摇情满江树。                     The moon pours pining on riverside trees I know.

Translated by East Sea Fairy