Ouyang Xiu: Jade Tower in Spring (No. 25): End of Spring

 

Jade Tower in Spring (No. 25): End of Spring

 

玉 楼 春
(25)
江 南 三 月 春 光 老
月 落 禽 啼 天 未 晓。
露 和 啼 血 染 花 红
恨 过 千 家 烟 树 杪。
云 垂 玉 枕 屏 山 小
梦 欲 成 时 惊 觉 了。
人 心 应 不 似 伊 心
若 解 思 归 归 合 早。
Yu Lou Chun

(25)

Jiang nan san yue chun guang lao
Yue luo qin ti tian wei xiao.
Lu he ti xie ran hua hong
Hen guo qian jia yan shu miao.

Yun chui yu zhen bing shan xiao
Meng yu cheng shi jing jue liao.
Ren xin ying bu si yi xin
Ruo jie si gui gui he zao.

 

Jade Tower in Spring: (No. 25): End of Spring

(25)

End of spring in Jiangnan
Moon sets, all evening the nightingales sing.
With frost, their dripping blood dyes the flowers red.
Sounds of regret heard in one thousand houses under the
misty treetops.

Jade screen with clouds blowing around small mountains
Dream interrupted, startled awake by these birds.
People’s hearts and minds should not be like these birds
If you understand and think of me, you should return soon rather than later.

 

Notes:

Jiangnan: Literally means south of the river.  The region that lies south of the mouth of the Changjiang (Yangzi River).