[updated October 2022]
Evening Enters the Southern Mountains
晚 入 南 山
瘴 气 晓 氛 氲
南 山 复 水 云。
鲲 飞 今 始 见
鸟 堕 旧 来 闻。
地 接 长 沙 近
江 从 泊 渚 分。
贾 生 曾 吊 屈
予 亦 痛 斯 文。
Wan Ru Nan Shan
Zhang qi xiao fen yun
Nan shan fu shui yun.
Kun fei jin shi jian
Niao duo jiu lai wen.
Di jie chang sha jin
Jiang cong bo zhu fen.
Jia sheng ceng diao qu
Yu yi tong si wen.
Evening Enters the Southern Mountains
At daybreak, dense miasma atmosphere
Southern Mountains covered by water and clouds.
The kun now unexpectedly begin to appear
Birds fall down just like in the stories from the olden days.
This land connected to nearby Changsha
The river separates around the islet where we drop anchor.
Jia’s life, one chance to revoke life’s injustice
I also suffer from being too literary and soft.
Notes:
Southern Mountains: A range of mountains located near to and south of the capital city of Chang’an (Xi’an).
Kun: Chinese mythological creature when as a giant fish it is known as a “kun”. When transformed it becomes a very large bird known as a “peng”. Mentioned in the first section of the Inner Chapters of Zhuangzi.
Changsha: Provincial capital city of Hunan Province.