[updated September 2022]
Tallest Buildings Inside the City of Baidi
白 帝 城 最 高 楼
城 尖 径 仄 旌 旆 愁
独 立 缥 缈 之 飞 楼。
峡 坼 云 霾 龙 虎 卧
江 清 日 抱 鼋 鼍 游。
扶 桑 西 枝 对 断 石
弱 水 东 影 随 长 流。
杖 藜 叹 世 者 谁 子？
泣 血 迸 空 回 白 头。
Bai Di Cheng Zui Gao Lou
Cheng jian jing ze jing pei chou
Du li piao miao zhi fei lou
Xia che yun mai long hu wo
Jiang qing ri bao yuan tuo you.
Fu sang xi zhi dui duan shi
Ruo shui dong ying sui chang liu
Zhang li tan shi zhe shei zi?
Qi xue beng kong hui bai tou.
Tallest Buildings Inside the City of Baidi
From the tapered city walls hang narrow pennants and rainbow streamers
A single light blue banner flying against the vast sky.
From above, canyons and gorges split open, clouds and heavy mists to
reveal dragons and tigers lying about
Clear river waters in the sun show the presence of turtles and alligators.
From east to west, branches contact the broken river boulders
Far away, river flows follow the winter reflections moving west to east.
Who with their branched cane sigh at society’s things?
My blood and tears already spent, I return with white hair.
Notes:
Baidi: City near present day Chongqing, Sichuan province.
Dragons and tigers; turtle and alligators: Du is describing the shapes and forms of the rocks and boulders as they appear to him from far below.