Du Fu: Springtime Overnight Stay in Zuo Sheng

 

Springtime Overnight Stay in Zuo Sheng

 

春 宿 左 省
花 隐 掖 垣 暮
啾 啾 栖 鸟 过。
星 临 万 户 动
月 傍 九 霄 多。
不 寝 听 金 钥
因 风 想 玉 珂。
明 朝 有 封 事
数 问 夜 如 何。
Chun Su Zuo Sheng

Hua yin ye yuan mu
Jiu jiu qi niao guo.
Xing lin wan hu dong
Yue bang jiu xiao duo.

Bu qin ting jin yao
Yin feng xiang yu ke.
Ming zhao you feng shi
Shu wen ye ru he.

 

Springtime Stay Overnight in Zuo Sheng

Hidden flowers between city walls at sunset
Perched and passing birds chirping “jiu-jiu”.
Moving stars overlook ten thousand houses
Moon rises into many clouds.

Not sleeping, listen for the sounds of golden keys
Because of the wind, think I heard the sounds of jade stones.
At the break of dawn, important conferences, meetings, and documents
By evening asked the guards many times what is the hour.

 

Notes:

“Jiu-jiu”: According to the ancient Chinese, the onomatopoeic sounds of birds.