[updated October 2022]
Climb the Chong Xuan Temple Pavilion
登 重 玄 寺 阁
时 暇 陟 云 构
晨 霁 澄 景 光。
始 见 吴 都 大
十 里 郁 苍 苍。
山 川 表 明 丽
湖 海 吞 大 荒。
合 沓 臻 水 陆
骈 阗 会 四 方。
俗 繁 节 又 喧
雨 顺 物 亦 康。
禽 鱼 各 翔 泳
草 木 通 芬 芳。
于 兹 省 甿 俗
一 用 劝 农 桑。
诚 知 虎 符 忝
但 恨 归 路 长。
Deng Chong Xuan Si Ge
Shi xia zhi yun gou
Chen ji cheng jing guang.
Shi jian wu du da
Shi li yu cang cang.
Shan chuan biao ming li
Hu hai tun da huang.
He ta zhen shui lu
Pian tian hui si fang.
Su fan jie you xuan
Yu shun wu yi kang.
Qin yu ge xiang yong
Cao mu tong fen fang.
Yu zi xing meng su
Yi yong quan nong sang.
Cheng zhi hu fu tian
Dan hen gui lu chang.
Climb the Chong Xuan Temple Pavilion
Leisure time to climb up into the clouds
Morning after the rain clears, bright reflections.
Begin to see how big the Wu area is
Three miles of lush plants, fragrant and boundless.
Mountains and rivers expressing their clarity and beauty
Lakes and seas disappear into a large vastness.
Interconnected layers of water and land
Side by side, linked into all four directions.
Many local customs have noisy festivals
Rain plentiful and timely led to abundance.
All fish swim and birds fly in circles
All grasses and trees very fragrant.
Nowadays I have come to realize my hometown peasants follow their traditions
One should encourage the farmers and mulberry workers.
Unexpectedly I receive, without enough merit, half of the tiger seal for future military campaigns
Yet resent the long road back to my hometown.
Notes:
Wu state and region: Founded during the Western Zhou Dynasty, it was located at the mouth of the Changjiang (Yangzi River) inside Zhejiang Province.
Chong Xuan Temple: Sixth century Buddhist temple in the Suzhou area.
Tiger seal: Written imperial edicts having this seal, carries with it orders to report to a new position.