Du Mu: From a Prefecture Tower, Evening Look Into the Distance and Think of the Past

From a Prefecture Tower, Evening Look Into the Distance and Think of the Past

郡 楼 晚 眺 感 事 怀 古

半 晴 高 树 气 葱 茏
静 卷 疏 帘 汉 水 东。
云 薄 细 飞 残 照 雨
燕 轻 斜 让 晚 楼 风。

名 存 故 国 川 波 上
事 逐 荒 城 草 露 中。
欲 学 含 珠 何 所 用
独 凝 遥 思 人 烟 空。

Jun Lou Wan Tiao Gan Shi Huai Gu

Ban qing gao shu qi cong long
Jing juan shu lian han shui dong.
Yun bo xi fei can zhao yu
Yan qing xie rang wan lou feng.

Ming cun gu guo chuan bo shang
Shi zhu huang cheng cao lu zhong.
Yu xue han zhu he suo yong
Du ning yao si ru yan kong.

 

From a Prefecture Tower, Evening Look Into the Distance and
Think of the Past

Partly clear, moist tall trees verdant and thick
Calmly roll up the thin curtains, Han River in the east.
Thin and wispy clouds, remnants on the move to accent the rain
In the evening winds, swallows easily change flight paths
around the buildings.

My name upon the river waves flowing to my hometown
One by one into the middle of government affairs and the dew on
neglected city grasses.
Early on I studied and learned so pearls could flow from my mouth
Now only fixate and ponder how to enter the distant mists and emptiness.

 

Notes:

Han River: Longest tributary to the Changjiang (Yangzi River).