Li Qingzhao: Returning Geese Sounds Stop

 

Returning Geese Sounds Stop

 

普 萨 蛮
归 鸿 声 断 残 云 碧
背 窗 雪 落 炉 烟 直。
烛 低 凤 钗 明
钗 头 人 胜 轻。
角 声 催 晓 漏
曙 色 回 牛 斗。
春 意 看 花 难
西 风 留 旧 寒。
Pu Sa Man

Gui hong sheng duan can yun bi
Bei chuang xue luo lu yan zhi.
Zhu di feng chai ming
Chai tou ren sheng qing.

Jiao sheng cui xiao lou
Shu se hui niu dou.
Chun yi kan hua nan
Xi feng liu jiu han.

 

Returning Geese Sounds Stop
(Buddha’s Song)

Returning geese sounds stop, remnants of bluish-green clouds
Rear windows holding snow, now falling down,
stove smoke ascending straight.
Elevated candle bright enough to set a hairpin
Fine, lightly cut forehead beret for the seventh day of the new year.

Bugle sounds urge the dawn to break
Dawn colors, the two stars that never come together fade into the light.
Expecting spring, blossoms difficult to see
For a long time the west wind remains cold.

 

Notes:

In Chinese mythology, flying geese carry messages back and forth for those who are apart.