Bai Juyi: Overnight Autumn Solitude, For Many Years Have Not Been Here at Mt. Xiang Temple: No. 1

 

[updated September 2022]

 

Overnight Autumn Solitude, For Many Years Have Not Been Here at Mt. Xiang Temple: Three Four-Line Poems: No.1

 

五 年 秋 病 后 独 宿 香 山 寺： 三 绝 句

(1)

经 年 不 到 龙 门 寺
经 夜 何 人 知 我 情？
还 向 畅 师 房 里 宿
新 秋 月 色 旧 滩 声。

 

(1)

Wu Nian Qiu Bing Hou Du Su Xiang Shan Si San Jue Ju

Jing nian bu dao long men si
Jin ye he ren zhi wo qing?
Huan xiang chang shi fang li su
Xin qiu yue se jiu tan sheng.

 

Overnight Autumn Solitude, For Many Years Have Not Been Here at Mt. Xiang Temple: Three Four-Line Poems: No. 1

(1)

For a whole year I have not come to the Donglin Temple
Tonight who can know of my emotions?
Came back to stay overnight inside a teacher’s room
New autumn moon, former river shoal colors and sounds have remained the same.

 

Notes:

[Bi Juyi’s friend has died, and all of his other friends have scattered in all directions. Written in 840 AD, Bai reminisces about the old days of 829.