[updated October 2022]
Listen to Oriole Songs
听 莺 曲
东 方 欲 曙 花 冥 冥
啼 莺 相 唤 亦 可 听。
乍 去 乍 来 时 近 远
才 闻 南 陌 又 东 城。
忽 似 上 林 翻 下 苑
绵 绵 蛮 蛮 如 有 情。
欲 啭 不 啭 意 自 娇
羌 儿 弄 笛 曲 未 调。
前 声 后 声 不 相 及
秦 女 学 筝 指 犹 涩。
须 臾 风 暖 朝 日 暾
流 音 变 作 百 鸟 喧。
谁 家 懒 妇 惊 残 梦？
何 处 愁 人 忆 故 园？
伯 劳 飞 过 声 局 促
戴 胜 下 时 桑 田 绿。
不 及 流 莺 日 日 啼 花 间
能 使 万 家 春 意 闲。
有 时 断 续 听 不 了
飞 去 花 枝 犹 袅 袅。
还 栖 碧 树 锁 千 门
春 漏 方 残 一 声 晓。
Ting Ying Qu
Dong fang yu shu hua ming ming
Ti ying xiang huan yi ke ting.
Zha qu zha lai shi jin yuan
Cai wen nan mo you dong cheng.
Hu si shang lin fan xia yuan
Mian mian man man ru you qing.
Yu zhuan bu zhuan yi zi jiao
Qiang er nong di qu wei tiao.
Qian sheng hou shen bu xiang ji
Qin nu xue zheng zhi you se.
Xu yu feng nuan zhao ri tun
Liu yin bian zuo bai niao xuan.
Shei jia lan fu jing can meng?
He chu chou ren yi gu yuan?
Bo lao fei guo sheng ju cu
Dai sheng xia shi sang tian lu.
Bu ji liu ying ri ri ti hua jian
Neng shi wan jia chun yi xian.
You shi duan xu ting bu liao
Fei qu hau zhi you niao niao.
Huan qi bi shu suo qian men
Chun lou fang can yi sheng xiao.
Listen to Oriole Songs
Towards the east, daybreak on blossoms very deep and hidden
Orioles cry out, calling and listening to each other.
First they go out, then suddenly arrive, both nearby and distant
Can hear them on the southern footpaths between the fields,
also from the eastern city walls.
Sometimes upon the forests and then cross over from below enclosed orchards
Continually share their conversations full of emotions.
Loudly then softly chirping with charming intent
Like playing the qiang and dizi bamboo flute melodies before the instruments were tempered.
Earlier sounds and later sounds do not match each other
Like Qin women trying to learn the fingering patterns of a southern guzheng.
Notice the warm breezed and dawn sunlight has newly risen
Flowing tones change, now one hundred birds chirp at once.
Which of the idled women houses have their dreams fractured and startled?
Which anxious people recall their hometown gardens?
Shrikes flying overhead with their sound gathering near
Daisheng birds come out later when the mulberry trees and fields are green.
Everyday the orioles chirp and wander among the flowers and blossoms
Able to cause many houses to expect the leisures of spring.
Intermittently they have times when they stop to listen
Flying away from branches and flowers like waves in the wind.
Later go back to perch on bluish-green trees to rest behind one thousand hiding places
Waterclock yet to empty, then their one spring sound at dawn.
Notes:
Guzheng: Ancient multi-stringed musical instrument.
Daisheng birds: Can also refer to the cuckoo as a harbinger of spring.