Han Yu: Eighth Lunar Month, Fifteenth Evening, Send This As a Gift to Zhang Gongcao

Eighth Lunar Month, Fifteenth Evening, Send This As a Gift to Zhang Gongcao

八 月 十 五 夜 赠 张 功 曹

纤 云 四 卷 天 无 河
清 风 吹 空 月 舒 波。
沙 平 水 息 声 影 绝
一 杯 相 属 君 当 歌。

君 歌 声 酸 辞 且 苦
不 能 听 终 泪 如 雨：
洞 庭 连 天 九 疑 高
蛟 龙 出 没 猩 鼯 号。

十 生 九 死 到 官 所
幽 居 默 默 如 藏 逃。
下 床 畏 蛇 食 畏 药
海 气 湿 蛰 熏 腥 臊。

昨 者 州 前 槌 大 鼓
嗣 皇 继 圣 登 夔 皋。
赦 书 一 日 行 万 里
罪 从 大 辟 皆 除 死。

迁 者 追 回 流 者 还
涤 瑕 荡 垢 朝 清 斑。
州 家 申 名 使 家 抑
坎 轲 祗 得 移 荆 蛮。

判 司 卑 官 不 堪 说
未 免 捶 楚 尘 埃 间。
同 时 辈 流 多 上 道
天 路 幽 险 难 追 攀。

君 歌 且 休 听 我 歌
我 歌 今 与 君 殊 科。
一 年 明 月 今 宵 多
人 生 由 命 非 由 他
有 酒 不 饮 奈 明 何！

Ba Yue Shi Wu Ye Zeng Zhang Gong Cao

Xian yun si juan tian wu he
Qing feng chui kong yue shu bo.
Sha ping shui xi sheng ying jue
Yi bei xiang shu jun dang ge.

Jun ge sheng suan ci qie ku
Bu neng ting zhong lei ru yu:
Dong ting lian tian jiu yi gao
Jiao long chu mei xing wu hao.

Shi sheng jiu si dao guan suo
You ju mo mo ru cang tao.
Xia chuang wei she shi wei yao
Hai qi shi zhe xun xing sao.

Zuo zhe zhou qian chui da gu
Si huang ji sheng deng kui gao.
She shu yi ri xing wan li
Zui cong da pi jie chu si.

Qian zhe zhui hui liu zhe huan
Di xia dang gou zhao qing ban.
Zhou jia shen ming shi jia yi
Kan ke zhi de yi jing man.

Pan si bei guan bu kan shui
Wei mian chui chu chen ai jian.
Tong shi bei liu duo shang dao
Tian lu you xian nan zhui pan.

Jun ge qie xiu ting wo ge
Wo ge jin yu jun shu ke.
Yi nian ming yue jin xiao duo
Ren sheng you ming fei you ta
You jiu bu yin nai ming he!

Eighth Lunar Month, Fifteenth Evening, Send This As a Gift to Zhang Gongcao

Wispy clouds scrolled in all four directions, sky without the Milky Way
Clear winds blow softly, moonlight on relaxed waves.
Level sand and water, multiple sounds and shadows fade away
Share one cup of wine with you, should sing our songs.

Your songs sound sour and remote, enough to make me cry
Cannot listen anymore, tears begin to fall like rain:
Dong Ting Lake connects the sky to several mountain peaks
Flood dragons sink out of sight, monkeys and flying squirrels howl.

Nine out of ten people die traveling to and from the palace
Escapees now in seclusion and hidden, no one to confide in.
Fearful of snakes under the bed, also that the food may be poisoned
Ocean air thick and humid, the stench of dead fish.

Yesterday, people gathered in front of the government building pound the largest drum
Emperor’s coronation, he asked to continue what is sacred, and for the dragons to come forth and serve the country.
One day thousands of li away the documents of amnesty arrive
Major felon death sentences have all been commuted.

People previously demoted can go back to their old positions
Dirt, defects and debauchery can all be cleared and washed away.
Prefecture governor sent our names to his superior for clemency
This area of Hunan full of frustrations, we have to move on.

Humble civil servants so poor and out of sight
We are not exempt from public beatings between the dust and dirt.
Many of those of our generation have already left
Highways back to the palace full of difficulties and danger.

For now, stop your singing and chant my songs
My poems now associated with a new and different mood.
By now we have had many evenings of moonlight this past year
Human experiences and fate are not under our control
We have wine, how can we not drink to this bright light!

Notes:

Dongting Lake: Flood basin for the Changjiang (Yangzi River).