Tao Yuanming: Returning Birds: Part 1

Returning Birds: Part 1

归 鸟

翼 翼 归 鸟
晨 去 于 林。
远 之 八 表
近 憩 云 岑。

和 风 弗 洽
翻 翮 求 心。
顾 俦 相 鸣
景 庇 清 阴。

翼 翼 归 鸟
载 翔 载 飞。
虽 不 怀 游
见 林 情 依。

遇 云 颉 颃
相 鸣 而 归。
遐 路 诚 悠
性 爰 无 遗。

Gui Niao

Yi yi gui niao
Chen qu yu lin.
Yuan zhi ba biao
Jin qi yun cen.

He feng fu qia
Fan he qiu xin.
Gu chou xiang ming
Jing bi qing yin.

Yi yi gui niao
Zai xiang zai fei.
Sui bu huai you
Jian lin qing yi.

Yu yun xie hang
Xiang ming er gui.
Xia lu cheng you
Xing yuan wu yi.

Returning Birds: Part 1

Returning birds soar in a neat formation
Early morning they leave the forest.
Some far away to these eight mountain peaks
Some relax on nearby cloudy summits.

Flying into a gentle springtime breeze
Quickly turn around to seek my mind-heart.
Look at my peers chirping to one another
In a scene hiding quietly in the shade.

Returning birds soar in a neat formation
Flying circles in the air, then resting.
Even though they want to travel
Seeing the forests changes their desires.

Flying up into and around the clouds
Chirping to each other to return.
The remote path, actually, long and tenuous
My nature and temperament is to remember what is natural and true.

Notes:

The remote path: The way to the palace and/or into the cloudy heights.

What is natural and pure: Like the birds roosting in the forest.