[updated September 2022]
Front Courtyard Fragrances
满 庭 芳
归 去 来 兮，清 溪 无 底
上 有 千 仞 嵯 峨 。
画 楼 东 畔 ，天 远 夕 阳 多。
老 去 君 恩 未 报
空 回 首，弹 铗 悲 歌。
般 头 转，长 风 万 里
归 马 驻 平 坡。
无 何。何 处 有
银 潢 尽 外
天 女 停 梭。
问 何 事 人 间
久 戏 风 波？
顾 谓 同 来 稚 子
应 烂 汝，腰 下 长 柯。
青 衫 破，群 仙 笑 我
千 缕 挂 烟 蓑。
Man Ting Fang
Gui qu lai xi, qing xi wu di
Shang you qian ren cuo e.
Hua you dong pan, tian yuan xi yang duo.
Lao qu jun en wei bao
Kong hui shou, tan jia bei ge.
Ban tou zhuan, chang feng wan li
Gui ma zhu ping po.
Wu he. He chu you
Yin huang jin wai
Tian nu ting suo.
Wen he shi ren jian
Jiu xi feng bo?
Gu wei tong lai zhi zi,
Ying lan ru, yao xia chang ke.
Qing shan po, qun xian xiao wo
Qian lu gua yan suo.
Front Courtyard Fragrances
Ah, I get to leave and go back home to Jiangnan
Can see to the bottom of a clear, small stream
Up above steep and thousand-foot high mountains
Artistic buildings on the eastern riverbank.
Sky distant, many views of a slow setting sun.
I am so old, cannot repay the imperial kindness for this promotion
No songs of joy for I am unable to return the favor
Boat bow turns around, from behind, a thousand miles of wind fills the sail.
Like a returning horse with no hills across a level plain.
Time is merely a speck within eternity
Where is the end of the Milky Way?
Altair and Vega: Cowherd and Girl Weaver should be there.
Why am I still here among humans, and
For a long time in the drama of wind and waves?
I visit and talk with small children like Wangzi, the forest woodcutter
They played chess and gave him jujubes to eat.
One day in this place is equal to one thousand earth years
Surprised to see his ax handle turned to sawdust
The immortals above are laughing at me while they throw away their worn out clothes
Here I am wearing one thousand single threads, under a rain poncho
made of grass.
Notes:
Jiangnan: Literally means south of the river. In this case, it is a region south of the river named Changjiang.
Altair and Vega: Two prominent stars in the Milky Way.
Cowherd and Weaver Girl: Ancient mythological Chinese story dating back 2600 years. They are the centerpiece for the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. It is also known as the day of the Magpie Festival, and as the Qixi ( 七夕) Festival. Two lovers are separated by the heavenly silver river (Milky Way) and are reunited only for one day (seventh day of the seventh month). They reach each other by crossing over a bridge made by many magpies.
Commentary:
Written in February 1085: Su Dongpo on his way to Ruzhou, then his assignment changes to Changzhou while he was in Jiangnan.